Scars Run Deep
by Annia Lee
Summary: Maleficent goes to extreme lengths to teach her daughter that love is a weakness, leaving emotional and physical scars in the process. Ben doesn't need a love potion to see how amazing Mal is, but can he break through her defenses? Can she tell him why she really agreed to come to Auradon?
1. Meeting Mal

**Scars Run Deep**

***WARNING*** There is mention of torture and death in this story. If you can't handle it, then find another sandbox to play in. I add these elements because they help build towards a character arc, not because I enjoy them.

I don't own anything here, but I do enjoy playing in Disney's sandbox. Sometimes, the happiest place on earth covers a multitude of scars. Descendants allowed me to dig into the underbelly that Disney doesn't touch.

This is the longer story that was inspired by the plot bunny in my story, Scars Revealed. That scene won't come until later though, so take this as a spoiler alert! I play loose with the ages in this story, and have recast Jay's mom to fit my imagination. In my mind, Jay is the oldest, followed by Mal, Evie and Carlos. They are close enough in age to be in the same grade, but the age difference between Jay and Mal is touched upon more at the beginning. This is fan fiction, so playing with the character's and their backstory is the norm, not the exception. If you are looking for true cannon, then pop in your DVD of the original. I can't beat that.

**Jay's point of view**

A little girl huddled in the shadows in the corner of an alleyway. She had tears swimming in her eyes as she clutched her wrist to her chest, but those tears did not fall. I approached her with caution, wondering if there was anything I could do. I didn't usually help people, but something about this young purple haired girl tugged on my heartstrings.

"Jay," shouted a woman in a slightly panicked tone.

"Here mother," I called, looking down at the little girl.

"Jay," my mother exclaimed, "you only just turned five years old, and are still too young to run off without me."

"But mom," I complained, "dad lets me out by myself all the time."

"Then your father and I will be having words." I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was not happy and that my dad was in trouble. This could be fun!

As mom grabbed my hand to drag me away, I pulled in the opposite direction. "Mom, you have to see what I found!"

"If it is another rotting animal then you will be grounded for a week." My mother allowed me to drag her until she saw the little girl huddled in the corner. She knelt down several feet away and began speaking softly. "Hello sweetheart, what is your name? Are you lost?"

The little girl looked up with indignation in her gaze. "I'm four years old, and I'm no sweetheart." Her flashing green eyes met my mothers and her purple hair seemed to pulse. "My name is Mal, and I will rule this Isle by the time I'm five."

My mother bit back a gasp, and then tried to hide her smile. "I believe you will have a bit of a battle with your mother for that position." I looked at my mother in confusion. Did she know this girl? "My name is Scheherazade. Why don't you come home with my son Jay and I so I can take a look at your wrist and feed you a meal?"

The girl, Mal, looked at my mom distrustfully, but there was longing in her eyes at the mention of food. She thought about it for a moment, then reached out her uninjured hand. I could see her frame as she stood up, and she looked like she couldn't be more than three. I exclaimed, "there's no way you're four years old, you're too small!"

"Jay!" My mother reproofed, "that is not nice."

"We live on the Isle of the Lost," Mal said, "being nice is a weakness." She looked me up and down before turning back to my mom and saying matter of factly, "I like him."

My mom rolled her eyes and said, "then you will get along well with Jafar." She threw up her hands and stalked away down the alleyway, clearly expecting us to follow. Which we did.

"Who is Jafar?" Mal asked me.

"My dad. He is training me to be a thief," I said proudly, and she looked impressed. "But don't tell my mom," I whispered.

"She seems nice," Mal said, although she looked confused. "Villains aren't supposed to be nice, and they don't care about their kids. Hitting and yelling are expected, feeding a strange child is not."

"Some of them care," I retorted. "Although I'll admit that my mom cares more than my dad, but he's never hurt me."

Mal looked dubious, but I could see the envy in her eyes. I wondered what her home life was like, and if her mother's treatment was the reason that she was so small. She clearly had an injured wrist, and I could hear her stomach growl. She tried to be tough, but it looked like she was so hungry she couldn't walk in a straight line. They say that extreme hunger can make you seem drunk. If her actions were anything to go by, she was hungry enough to rival Gaston when he got his hands on a case of alcohol. I reached out to steady her and she shot me a dirty look. "I'm a big girl, I can walk by myself."

I smirked at her, "sure you can," and I let go. She wobbled on her feet and almost fell. I stuck out my arm and she clung to it desperately. I knew that she didn't want to accept help, but she needed to be able to lean on someone. I suddenly had an idea that would allow me to help her while she kept her dignity. "If you are going to rule the Isle one day, then I will need to escort you like the princess you are." I stuck my arm out like the princes in my mom's stories, and she finally accepted the support.

"I suppose if you put it that way, I can accept your support of my quest to be the best." Her haughty tone made me smile, but I made sure she was in front of me when I did so. "And stop smiling," she said.

My jaw dropped; how did she know? I looked to the side and realized that there was an unbroken window in the storefront next to us and she could see my reflection. My eyes shifted back to her and I saw her smirk. She threw me off my guard and I felt a bit unbalanced. Mal clearly saw that I was weak and struck. "So, why is your mom so nice anyway?"

"She snuck on to the island because she loved my dad, not because she was a villain." I answered, still a bit in awe of her. I as suddenly struck with fear, realizing that I said too much. She saw the brief panic in my eyes and mimed locking her lips tight and throwing away the key. There was something about this girl that I trusted and, although I didn't know it then, that would never change.


	2. Story Time

**Chapter 2 - Story Time**

I am so excited that people read my first chapter and put me on their follow list. I never knew how addicting comments could be either. The things you learn when you finally put yourself out there! I am slowly setting up Mal and Jay's relationship before introducing Evie and Carlos. I had fun hiding a few sarcastic comments in this chapter, and felt that it went a long way towards explaining Chad Charming's apparent lack of intelligence.

Time for the disclaimer: I own nothing, I just play in Disney's sandbox. Playing with characters and backstories are the norm for fanfiction. If you're looking for canon, go watch the movie.

**Mal's Point of View**

"Once upon a time…" Scheherazade began another tale. I could listen to her all day, and often did. She had a way of making a story come alive. She used to tell stories in the sultan's palace, which is where she met her husband, Jafar.

I listened as she wove a fantastic tale of a widow in mourning who doted upon her two daughters. "Her loving husband did not plan for his early demise, and left nothing for his family to live on. The widow scraped and saved where she could, working in the local inn. She could barely afford to feed her daughters, and she knew that the only way to save them was to marry again. She was a practical woman, and set her sights on a widower who possessed enough wealth to support her and her daughters. A man who had already lost his first wife would be aware of the need to provide for his family in case he followed her in death. She would even be willing to take care of his children, if he had any, in exchange for security."

"Why would she marry if she wasn't in love?" Jay asked his mom. He was growing to used to her stories and still believed in true love at first sight. The boy had to get over that if he wanted to survive on the Isle.

"My mother says that love is a weakness," I said. When you love someone, it gives another person power over you. If they can control the one you love, either by persuasion or kidnapping, then they can control you."

Jay's face fell at my words, and Scheherazade looked sorrowful. "While some of what Mal says is true, a love that is pure will survive all attempts to squash it. Death does not end love; it only separates a couple for a time. Remember the tale of Orpheus and Euridice?"

"Yeah," I scoffed, "he went to hell to bring her back from the dead but didn't trust that she was following him so looked behind him. Hades told him that was the one thing he shouldn't do, so took Euridice back to hell with him. Orpheus was still alone, but this time it was his own fault."

Scheherazade looked heavenward, as if asking for strength, before she spoke. "The point of that story is that death did not stop his love. Everyone dies sometime…"

"Unless you're a god," Jay cut in.

"Unless you're a god," she allowed. "So, all lovers will be…"

I smiled at Jay's next interruption. "Or all the villains that Auradon forced Hades to bring back from the dead, just so they could punish them by banning them to the Isle."

"Yes, those too," she allowed. "But even those villains will die again, and the gods can visit the dead anytime. All lovers are reunited in the end. Now be quite and listen to the rest of the story."

I listened as Scheherazade dropped back into storyteller mode. Describing each character's emotions and motivations as the story unfolded. "The destitute widow found a kind man, who was simply looking for someone to mother his little girl. He was not looking for love, and saw the widow's two daughters as proof of her motherly instincts. He whisked her away from poverty to his mansion, and gave her the title of "Lady" when he married her. He doted on his little girl, but tended to ignore his step daughters in the process. His wife grew bitter over time. She knew her reasons for marrying were not romantic, and her desire for comfort and security was met. She never thought about the emotional impact of this on her daughters though. The girls had been the apples of their father's eye while he was alive. They understand that their descent into poverty for a year was not their fault, and held out hope that they would find someone like their father to love them some day. Their self-esteem took a hit, as their new stepfather focused almost solely on his own daughter. After a year of marriage, all three women grew to hate the little girl who stole all of her father's attention. The girl had never worked a day in her life. She played with her toys, took horseback riding lessons and lazed about on sunny days doing absolutely nothing."

"Wouldn't that be wonderful," I interjected. "To lay around and do nothing all day. I wonder if that is what they do in Auradon?"

This time, Scheherazade ignored me and continued. "One day, her father fell ill and called his solicitor to draw up his will. He left hefty sum to his second wife and her daughters, approximately a third of his estate, but his little girl inherited everything else. As long as she remained single, however, her stepmother controlled her portion of the inheritance.

"Well that's silly," I said. "Why couldn't he limit it to when she turned eighteen? Why did she have to wait until she got married? Not all marriages work out, and she could be stuck in a bad relationship if she married just to get her inheritance."

"You are correct Mal," Scheherazade said, "but that was how the will was written. In Auradon, they believe heavily in love at first sight, and that everyone has a happily ever after with their name on it."

"Love is a weakness," I parroted my mother's favorite saying, "and true love doesn't exist."

Scheherazade sighed, raising her eyes to heaven. She does that a lot. Sometimes Jay and I say or do things just to see how many times we can get her to do that in a day. Our record is seventeen. She shook her head before dropping into storyteller mode again.

"Now, the woman had been widowed twice, and she was not about to let her inheritance be taken by a selfish little girl who only cared about herself. Now, the little girl was not truly selfish, she just hadn't known a time when her desires weren't fulfilled. She was modest in her requests, so her father never had any cause to say 'no'. Now her father was gone, and her stepmother seemed ready to deny her every request on principle. Her requests for a certain type of food were denied, forcing her to eat over easy eggs instead of hard boiled in the morning. The rest of the family may be eating her favorite meal of roast beef but she would be given chicken, even though she was eating at the same table. After six months of mostly justifiable pouting, she was sent to the kitchen to take over the cook's duties. She slowly learned how to take care of the house as she grew and, one by one, the servants were dismissed."

"Wow, talk about a raw deal." Jay's comment was ignored. It didn't even warrant a glance heavenward this time. The boy needed more practice.

"The little girl was now grown up, and spent her entire day taking care of the house and following the 'requests' of her step mother and step sisters. She would sometimes cry at night while sitting close to the fireplace so she could see to read. This caused the cinders which hit her face to streak down her cheeks as she cried."

"Cinderella," Jay cried, "I knew it!"

I looked at him in disgust. "If it took you that long to figure it out, then I question your intelligence." I did my own eyeroll heavenward as Jay stuck out his tongue.

Scheherazade smiled at our interaction. "Sometimes, the stories you think you know are only half of the scarab. Not all villains are as bad as you think, and not all heroes are lily white. We are all human, and it is our choices that determine our fate. You can allow a situation to turn you into a bitter person, or accept the world around you and let it pass you by. It is better to see your situation and work to make it better without taking away from another person's story."

"You're skipping the story and going straight to the moral," I cut in before mumbling. "Not that I agree with you or anything."

She chose to ignore the second half of my statement and went back to the story. "Cinderella, for that was her name, continued working every day without complaint. She didn't see how her situation could change, so why should she even try?"

"Because she's an idiot?" I asked seriously. I earned another eyeroll heavenward and was ignored.

"One day, the prince was told that he had to choose a bride, but he didn't want to marry a 'prissy pink princess', as he put it, so he decided to throw a ball. He figured that if every girl in the kingdom came to the ball, then he would have a better chance of finding someone who wasn't a vapid flirt. The invitations went out, and Cinderella's heart lifted at the thought of one night in a nice dress where she wasn't the one serving hors d'oeuvres and cleaning up the dropped napkins. She went to the attic and found one of her mother's old dresses. She worked on it every night for a week, borrowing pieces of ribbon and lace from other dresses to finish it. It wasn't the most stunning of dresses, but it would do for the ball. She descended the stairs the night of the ball, assuming that she would be joining her family in the carriage. She discovered then how deeply they held the resentment of her father's indifference. Her stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella tore the ribbons and lace from her dress, leaving her in tears as they flounced out the door."

"Well, that's one way to get your point across," I said.

I was once again ignored as the story continued. "Cinderella was heartbroken as she ran into the garden towards the rose garden her father planted in her mother's memory many years before. When she cried, she whispered her wish to go to the ball. Suddenly, in a snowstorm of magical sparkles, her Fairy Godmother appeared.

"Well if that isn't a case of Deus Ex Machina, then I don't know what is." Again, my comment was ignored. She was getting good at tuning us out. We'll have to try harder.

She continued the story. "Fairy Godmother waved her magic wand and, bippity boppity boo'd a carriage, coachman, horses and a dress. She then formed two beautiful glass slippers."

"Why glass," Jay asked, "wouldn't she break them as soon as she put them on? Dealing with cut feet would definitely put attending a ball out of the question."

This time Scheherazade paused, taking a deep breath before answering her son. "Fairy Godmother is a bit of a show off. She left the land of the fairies because she was looked down upon for her lack of wings. When she brought her magic to the human realm though, she became a rock star. She fashioned a magic wand to channel her powers, and pushed her way into many of Auradon's stories. She went on too many power trips though, and decided that her magic might be doing more harm than good. I believe that she gave up her wand after creating the magic inhibiting wards on the Isle and is now the principal of Auradon Prep, the main school in the kingdom."

Jay's and my jaws dropped at the slightly bitter tinge to Scheherazade's words. Clearly, she didn't like Fairy Godmother's perceived misuse of her powers. I wonder if this was another reason why she disliked my mother. Her description of Fairy Godmother did run along similar lines as Maleficent. They both left the land of the fairies and used their powers to effect change. One had a desire to help though, while the other's only goal was destruction.

The story continued. "When Cinderella arrived at the ball, she was a bit more than fashionably late. She entered the room in time for the last person to make it through the receiving line. She curtsied before the prince and when she stood up their eyes met for the first time. It was love at first sight, and they couldn't take their eyes off of each other. They danced for hours before walking out into the garden. There they talked about their lives as well as their hopes and dreams for the future. Cinderella glossed over her life after her father's death though, because she was ashamed of how she let her stepmother walk all over her. She didn't have a chance to give her name either."

"Well that was an oversight that could have ended the story much sooner," I snarked.

"Hey," Jay retorted, "if it ended then, it wouldn't have been much of a story. The prince had to prove his love by searching for her to earn her hand."

I rolled my eyes as the story continued, irrespective of our argument. "The clock started to chime the twelve o'clock hour, and Cinderella remembered that the spells were to expire at midnight. She quickly excused herself as the clock counted down to its final stroke. The carriage took her out of the view of the castle before disappearing. She stood in the middle of the road in her torn dress and holding one glass slipper. Walking the rest of the way home barefoot was not fun, and she had no clue why only one slipper remained. She didn't realize that the first slipper was lost when she ran down the steps of the palace and was later found by the prince."

"Go figure," I started. This time, I did not get to complete my comment before the story resumed.

"The next day, she started her regular routine. She had experienced a wonderful time the night before, but she was afraid that the prince would reject her if he know she was simply little Cinderella Tremaine. She was quite surprised though when she received news that the prince was taking a glass slipper through the town, trying it on every girl's foot in an attempt to find her."

"Was she really so forgettable that he needed to look at her foot to find her," I asked? "And what if someone else wore the same size shoe?"

Jay replied with a smug look on his face. "The slipper was magic silly; it would only fit her foot."

I shot an answer back quickly. "But how did the prince know that? It seems to me that he didn't do his homework and was hoping that Cinderella would just drop into his lap."

"Well no one said he was intelligent." Jay and I looked at his mom in shock. Did she really just say that? Her sarcasm didn't come out often, but when it did it often surprised even her.

She quickly continued the story. "When the prince arrived at the Tremaine household, he was welcomed into the sitting room. Cinderella's bedroom was high in the mansion's only tower. She chose this room when she was little because she said it made her feel like a princess. Lady Tremaine had lured her up there an hour before and locked her in. Cinderella was heartbroken and sat there sobbing her eyes out."

"Well that's not helpful," I said. "shouldn't she have tried to pick the lock with a bobby pin or something?"

"Well, no one said she was all that intelligent either." Scheherazade's eyes were raised heavenward again, this time at herself, before she continued the story. "Suddenly, Fairy Godmother appeared again in a shower of sparkles. She unlocked the door and sent Cinderella downstairs, making sure that she had her glass slipper in her pocket. Lady Tremaine saw Cinderella running down the stairs and realized that everything would change if the prince got the shoe on her foot. She stuck out her cane to trip the man carrying the glass slipper, and it shattered."

"How come it didn't break when she danced on it all night, but it shattered when hitting the floor without a heavy foot in it?" Jay's question seemed valid to me, and we looked at his mom for an answer.

"It was magic," she said with her eyes heavenward again. "The prince saw Cinderella and knew in a moment that this was the girl from the ball. He didn't need a glass slipper to prove it, but laughed when Cinderella pulled hers out of her pocket. He playfully knelt to put it on her foot, before lifting her in the air as he spun around in joy. He took her to his castle and they were married within the week."

"A bit rushed, don't you think?" I still didn't believe in love at first sight, and was more pragmatic about the story's end. I asked, "what happened to her stepmother and stepsisters? Did she kick them out of the house?"

Scheherazade continued the story at my request. "Cinderella had no need for her inheritance now that she was married to a prince. She took everything from the house that meant anything to her sentimentally, but left the rest behind. Her stepmother and stepsisters lived there comfortably, if not happily, until King Adam formed the centralized kingdom of Auradon and they were sent to live on the Isle."

"So… their crime was that they didn't like Cinderella, bullied her a bit, and tried to keep her from the idiot prince who need a shoe to find the girl of his dreams?" I rolled my eyes and continued, "that seems a bit tame to me."

"Not everyone on the Isle is guilty of the same level of villainy," Scheherazade said. "Some people are here because of who they wronged; not how bad their actions were. The Tremaine's are actually fairly nice, if a bit bitter and stuck up. The girls do care for their kids, and Lady Tremaine makes sure that they are safe when they work in her hair salon here on the Isle. She may not pay them much, but she keeps them fed and clothed."

"I guess there really are two sides to every story," I mused. "But how do we know which is true?"

She smiled as she replied. "You can only observe actions and draw conclusions based on facts. Listen to what someone has to say, but don't always take it at face value. Not everyone is a hero or a villain. Most of us are just people, with the foibles and faults that go along with living."

I walked home that night deep in thought. If people who don't deserve it are caught on the Isle, then they are left at the mercy of those who do deserve to be here. People like my mother. I shuddered, sometimes I wonder if I wouldn't be better off in a world where the few bad villains were in prison and the rest were out on parole. That seemed to be a much more realistic solution then trapping the so-so villains with the worst in existence and leaving them to kill each other. I looked at the sky and picked up my pace. The last thing I want is to get home late two days in a row and pay for it in pain.


	3. Broken Wings

**Scars Run Deep: Chapter 3 - Broken Wings**

I own nothing. Even Scheherazade is based on another fairy tale, partially inspired by StarKid's show "Twisted", although Jafar is not as altruistic as he is in that show.

Just a short snippet this time. I'm constantly reviewing and revising what I have, but I do have several chapters done. Every time I read them though, I edit them or add more. The last chapter wasn't actually in my original draft, but I was inspired by a later plot point in the story.

TRIGGER WARNING…There is a lead up and aftermath of physical torture in this chapter, although it is not explicit. The actual act is not included, but I want to give fair warning. Child abuse is terrible, but it does exist. I was lucky to grow up in a home without abuse, so I admit to not knowing how it might affect others. If you are in an abusive situation, then I encourage you to seek help. I am taking Maleficent to an extreme in this story, as I explore how truly vile villains can affect a child.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

**Mal's Point of View**

I was in awe! I woke up this morning with the most beautiful pair of purple wings. They were a deep, rich color and they complimented my hair. I started preening in front of the mirror, feeling pretty for the first time in my life. I didn't usually care about beauty, but my new wings gave me a confidence that I couldn't contain. This was the best birthday gift ever! Six years old was going to amazing!

I found my favorite outfit and realized that I had no way of putting it on. My pants and boots were fine, but my shirt's all got in the way of my wings. As I looked deeper into my closet, I found a dress that Scheherazade had given me for Christmas last year. I wore it for her once, and then pushed it to the back of my closet because dresses were not conducive to keeping up with Jay on our adventures. I pulled the dress over my head, and the scooped back allowed my wings to stretch out behind me unimpeded.

"Mother, look at my pretty wings. Now I look like you did when you were younger!" I knew that my mother missed her wings, so I hoped that she would be excited that I had inherited them. She didn't say anything to me, but I was wary of the look in her eyes. That look was usually a precursor to pain. I ran to the front door, but it had already been locked and I couldn't get out.

My mother returned to the room, wearing thick gloves and with an iron chain in her hands. My eyes widened as I backed up until my back hit the door. "Please mother, don't hurt me." I knew how iron could burn faeries, but this was the first time that my mother had deliberately approached me with the substance. I only hoped that the part of my father in me would make me immune to the iron chains in my mother's hands. It didn't.

Once my mother finished, she threw my wings in the fire and left me bleeding on the floor. I managed to pull myself to my feet and sneak away to Jay's house. His mom had helped me before when I was injured, so maybe she could do something now. I managed to get to Jay's house without being seen, and I was barely able to stand.

Jay jumped up and ran towards me, reaching under my right arm to keep me upright. His hands touched my back in the process, and I choked back a scream. He jumped backwards and looked at his hand. "Mom, "he shouted, "Mal's covered in blood!" I started to fall sideways and Jay reached out to hold me up again. This time he supported me by my armpits, keeping his hands off of my back.

Scheherazade came into the room and gasped in shock. She told Jay to lay me down on my stomach on his bed and to run and get the first aid kit. He gently lowered me to the bed and ran out the door to grab the supplies his mother needed to treat me. She brushed my hair back and softly spoke to me, telling me that everything would be okay, and how proud she was of me for being so brave. "You are doing so well. I know it hurts sweetie, but I'll do everything I can to help you. Can you tell me what happened?"

I was trying hard not to cry and to push through the pain. "I grew wings this morning, but my mother didn't like them and cut them off." I spilled the whole story. Starting with my excitement over my new wings, telling her about the agonizing pain of losing them, and finishing with my silent trip through the streets to her house. "I knew that you would take care of me, because you care more than my mother does." I could feel Scheherazade's tears falling onto my shoulder, and I felt bad for making her cry. "It's okay mom, I'm tough…" I stopped suddenly, realizing that I had called her my mom. I looked up in fear and wondered if I was going to be kicked out for my audacity. I started to babble, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that..."

Jay's mom stopped me and smiled through her tears. "You are the daughter of my heart, and just as dear to me as Jay is. You don't have to apologize, and I am so happy that you feel comfortable enough to call me your mom. Maleficent may have birthed you, but I love you like a true daughter."

I looked over her shoulder and saw Jay nodding. "You're practically my sister," he said, "and don't ever forget that."

I started to cry again, but this time they were tears of joy mixed with the pain. I winced as my true mom poured antiseptic on my wounds and bandaged my torso before giving me one of Jay's shirts to wear. It was large enough that it didn't put pressure on my back, and it served to cover up my bandages. "Thank you, and I love you both."

I cuddled into my mom's side as Jay sat on the back of the couch and stroked my hair. This may have been one of the worst days of my life because I lost my wings, but it was also the best day of my life because I gained a true family. A mother and brother who cared about me and loved me in a way that Maleficent did not.


	4. Hello Dad

**Scars Run Deep: Chapter 4 – Hello Dad**

I apologize for the delay on this chapter. I have been involved in a leadership program at work that has taken a lot of extra time outside of my normal work hours.

I feel like I've punished Mal quite a bit with a terrible mother, and decided that she should have a parent who actually cares for her. Hades is a favorite of mine, and I always wondered how the Isle's magic inhibiting wards were able to hold a god hostage.

I own nothing, but I enjoy playing in Disney's sandbox now and again.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

**Mal's Point of View**

I stood in the shadows behind a clothing shop and watched as Jay charmed the owner's daughter. As soon as her attention was drawn away from the booth, I was supposed to grab the red sari and run. It was the mother of my heart's birthday, and Jay and wanted to get her a new dress in her favorite color. There weren't many sari's readily available on the Isle, so when we heard that an elaborate red one had been found in a trash bin from Agrabah we knew we had to get our hands on it. From what I could see, it was only missing a few gold bangles, which could be easily covered up by shifting the rest of them slightly to cover the empty space.

I finally saw my chance and grabbed the sari. As I ran around the corner, I bumped into Hades, which knocked me backwards onto the ground. My mom always told everyone that my dad was a "useless mortal," but I knew that she was just bitter. She got drunk one night and cursed Hades for getting her pregnant and leaving her once I was born. She never mentioned it again, and I never asked for details.

Now I was looking up at my dad face to face for the first time, and I was angry. "I was trying to walk here, and you got in my way." I heard shouting behind me and realized that the shop owner had returned and was berating his daughter for losing the sari. Jay came careening around the corner and ducked into an alleyway, climbing onto the roof and running in the opposite direction. He never saw me, but I knew that I had to move quickly before the shop owner did. As I jumped up Hades grabbed my shoulder and turned around, marching out of the marketplace while pushing me in front of him. Now I was starting to get nervous.

He frog marched me through the streets until we reached a cave entrance and he ducked inside. He then stopped and looked at me, eyes searching my face. I shifted nervously as I adjusted my back. It had been hurting for the last couple days, getting worse as time went on. Now it was practically burning, and I felt like something was boiling under my skin. I just wanted to get away from here and back to the mother of my heart. The last thing I wanted to do was deal with my dad.

He reached out and I flinched, expecting to be struck. He stopped and looked at me, and it almost seemed as if there was hurt in his eyes. I decided to strike at him before he had a chance to hurt me. "Go ahead, mother always said that you hated us. Here's your chance to hit me and prove her right."

"I would never hurt you baby girl," he whispered. I was stunned, was that affection I saw in his eyes, mixed with the hurt? "I've watched you grow up from afar for nine years, and I would never hurt you. When I left your mother, I agreed to cut all contact with you in exchange for a promise from her to take care of you. That doesn't mean that I'm not watching out for you."

"Why didn't you ever talk to me then," I tried to sound accusatory but my tone had more hurt in in than I had planned. "Why did you leave me with her," I spat out the last word as if it was something extremely distasteful.

He looked at me tenderly and said, "I didn't want to leave, but it was the only way for me to keep you safe." He saw my confusion and went on. "Your mother never wanted to get pregnant but when you were born, she saw how much I loved you and grew jealous. She didn't love me, but she didn't want to give me a chance to love anyone else. When she became pregnant again, she decided that she didn't want another baby, and took steps to make sure that you didn't have a younger sibling." Tears were streaming down his face at this point. "I begged her to let your younger sibling live and said that I would take both of you away so Maleficent didn't have to raise you, but she was more interested in hurting me than in her own independence. I did get her to promise to take care of you as long as I stayed away, and I knew that she would kill you if I tried to take you to raise alone. I kept my distance to keep you safe."

I winced again and shifted, but this time he noticed. He reached out and laid his hand on my back, and suddenly the pain decreased. I leaned into him, relishing the relief and hoping that it would be permanent. The minute he took his hands away though, the pain returned. I whimpered and his hands came back, causing me to sigh in relief. "Whatever you're doing," I said, "don't stop."

"Are you okay?" he asked gently as his hand rubbed up and down my spine. I opened my eyes and looked at him, sarcasm clear on my face. "I guess not," he chuckled. He reached out and started removing my jacket.

I jumped back and glared at him. "What do you think you're doing," I hissed in anger. "You have no right to take my jacket."

"Calm down baby girl," he said, "I'm just making sure that you have room for your wings. When they erupt, they'll make a mess and I can tell that you like that jacket. You're a bit of a late bloomer. Most fairy's get their wings around six or seven."

I looked at him in shock. "I did get my wings at six, and they were taken away. Fairy's don't get two sets of wings, so I don't know what you think is happening."

My dad appeared shocked. "They were what," he whispered. His face then turned thunderous, "if that woman hurt you…" He spat the word 'woman' out as if it was a curse, and then seemed to be too angry to go on. His hair started flickering, as if he was angry enough that his magic was starting to fight the wards of the Isle and flare up. He was a god, and the magic inhibiting wards of the Isle were having trouble keeping his natural powers in check.

The pain in my back increased, and my attention shifted off of my dad and to my more immediate situation. I took my jacket off now because it was rubbing against the nubs from my wings and was starting to hurt. When my back was exposed, Hades gasped. He could see the ugly scars from when my mother removed my wings three years earlier.

At this point I was completely focused on the pain in my back and wasn't keeping track of Hades anymore. I bowed backwards and felt him grab me around my waist, pulling me forward into his lap so my back was facing away from him. He held me as I whimpered in pain, and then something amazing happened. Blue flame erupted around us as my pain reached its peak, and suddenly wings burst out of my back. My dad held me and the flames dissipated along with the pain.

"Mal, they're beautiful," he breathed in awe. I looked backwards at my wings and couldn't help but agree. They were still purple, but there was more of a blue tint in them then I remembered from the first time. I then realized that the cave wall behind us was covered in blood and white gunk.

I made a face as my dad chuckled. "Your wing sacs seem to have exploded everywhere."

"That gunk was inside me," I said with distaste.

He laughed and replied, "yep." His face then turned serious. "Pushing through your scars required a lot of extra pressure, which is why you were in so much pain. When enough pressure built up for them to break through, it caused a fountain of blood and protective mucus from your wing sacks when they exploded. Apparently being the daughter of a god means that your wings are able to regenerate."

"Is this going to happen every time," I asked?

"Every time," he replied in disbelief. "Why would it need to happen again?"

"Well I won't be able to hide my wings for long," I said in a matter of fact voice, "and I doubt that I'll get to keep them this time around either."

My dad's hair started flickering again as he growled. "If she cuts these off again, then I'll kill her myself."

"You can't do that dad; you know that she has enough clout on the Isle to make your life miserable. You disappeared after you left us, but she built an army of goons to protect her." He looked at me in despair and I went on. "You know that she's going to do whatever she likes, and by letting her take my wings again I can stop her from hurting someone else instead."

"Anything is worth saving you from your mother. She could kill me and I would die happy knowing that you were safe."

"But if you died, I wouldn't be safe anymore because I would still be under her power. I know that you care," I said softly as I stroked his cheek, "and that is enough for me. Please don't let me be the reason that you are destroyed. Scheherazade takes good care of me when I'm hurt, and I consider her the mother of my heart. As long as I have her and Jay, and I know that you are okay, then I can get through anything Maleficent can throw at me."

My dad's head fell forward as he realized that I was right; there was nothing that he could do. He reached out and gave me a fierce hug, being careful not to squeeze my wings. "Be careful baby girl. You can't risk coming to see me in case one of your mother's goons sees you, and I don't want her to take her anger at me out on you."

I nodded to him as I breathed in his scent; fire and brimstone, how appropriate. I found the scent comforting though, and the knowledge that the king of the dead loved me was a heady feeling. I had a parent who loved me, and I was willing to take any sort of abuse from my mother to keep him safe. I knew I would have to continue hiding any injuries though, as I didn't want to push him over the edge.

I turned to give him one more hug before exiting the cave and he held me fiercely. "I love you baby girl, and I know that you are strong enough to get through anything."

I felt like I was flying as I went home, but the closer I got the slower I went. Dread was beginning to overcome the joy because I knew what lay ahead for me. I could only hope that the regenerating power of being the daughter of a god only worked once, because I didn't know how many times I could handle having my wings torn from me.


	5. Maleficent's Training

Maleficent's Training

I own nothing, I just enjoy playing in Disney's sandbox from time to time. Fanfiction is just that, fiction by fans. I have already ignored the canon of Jay's mom, so you know that I am not above re-writing backstories to fit my vision.

I apologize for the delay in posting. This was a difficult chapter to write, and I have changed it several times. I struggled between a desire to continue writing the fun relationship between Jay, Mal and Scheherazade, or moving the story along. Chapters two through four were actually last-minute additions, as I kept rewriting this chapter.

This chapter explains Mal's magic and the reason why she is so guarded later in the story. It was hard to write, but knew that this chapter had to happen. I have a final goal in mind for this story, and you won't see the driving force behind Mal's actions until later. What happens in this chapter has a great impact on her future development, and I just hope that you don't hate me at the end of it.

**WARNING** This story does contain child abuse, and this chapter deals with murder. If you have difficulty with either topic, then either proceed with caution or hit the back button.

A guest posted that they would write their own version of this unless I posted soon. I do not respond to threats, but I had been spending some of the COVID-19 quarantine time on writing. I am still working around my job, but I am now working from home. If this guest wants to write their own version of the story, then please send me a link so I can read it. It is always fun to see how different people write from the same plot bunny. I would appreciate a shout out though, since I was apparently your inspiration!

**Mal's point of view**

"Again."

I looked up at my mother, sweat dripping down my face. She had been drilling me in magic during our "evil" lessons, and straining to perform the simplest of spells was draining. When I was three, my mother realized that I could do simple magic spells, even though we were on an isle warded against magic. She posited that only the magic of the villain's themselves were keyed into the magic inhibiting wards, and that the children were only tangentially affected. She believed that I was able to do simple spells because I was born from two magically powerful individuals, and that I would be extremely powerful myself if I was ever able to leave the Isle.

"Again."

I took a deep breath and repeated the spell she had been drilling me on for the past hour. "In darkest night, I lose my sight, so help me out and make a light." The spell sounded ridiculous, but it worked. I was able to create a small orb of light in my hand. It fizzled out after a few seconds though. When we first started, I could hold it for about a minute, but the strain of reaching for my magic had tired me out.

"I suppose that is enough for today." My mother finally admitted that I had reached my limit, and I sagged into the chair in front of her.

My connection to my magic was a bit staticky, like the poor connection our tv had when we tried to connect to stations from Auradon. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. My power had been growing over the years though. My mother had me drilling with my magic a few days a week, giving me at least a day of rest in between each session. I had memorized every spell in her spell book, but was only able to make a few of the lower level spells work.

"I suppose that wasn't a complete failure," my mother went on, "but you won't ever get better unless you practice, practice, practice. How could you ever learn to be evil, like me, if you can't even preform a simple illumination spell?"

During one of my early lessons, I made the mistake of asking her why I was expected to do the spell if she couldn't do it. If she was so powerful, and I was so worthless, then why could I do something she couldn't. I couldn't sit down for a week after that one, and never asked again. I learned to straddle a line between being showing magical skill than she had on the Isle, and remaining second best to her greater knowledge and, albeit bound, power.

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Two weeks later:

I crept along the hallway, desperate to reach my room before my mother realized that I was home. I had been with Jay and the mother of my heart all day, and I had missed a training session on being evil with Maleficent. Missing one of those sessions always resulted in a different lesson in pain. The last thing that I wanted was another beating, so I hoped that I could sneak in and that she would be calmer by the morning. I knew that if I stayed out all night that it would make things worse, so my only resort was to sneak in.

I made it through the door of my room and closed it softly. I turned and leaned my back against the door, breathing a sigh of relief as I closed my eyes. I'd made it. When I opened my eyes though, I stopped breathing in fear. My mother sat on my bed, her eyes glowing green with anger and an evil smirk on her face.

"Did you think that simply sneaking in was going to save you? Do you think that my memory is so bad that I wouldn't remember that you missed a session?" Her eyes bored into me, and her smirk did not drop.

I tried not to show fear, but my legs were shaking and the door behind me was the only thing keeping me upright. I knew that I had done it this time. The look on her face told me that there would be no mercy tonight. No excuse I would give, if I could even think of one through my fear, would be sufficient.

I braced myself, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. I kept my back straight, my head high, and looked straight ahead, trying not to show my fear. "I apologize for missing our meeting mother. It was disrespectful of me and it won't happen again." I hoped that I could assuage some of her anger by admitting my guilt and not trying to excuse it. I should have known that it wouldn't be enough.

Maleficent stood up and circled me, looking me up and down, the smirk never leaving her face. "You are right," she said, "it was disrespectful." She tapped her finger on her chin as she continued to circle me. "But I'm not sure that a simple statement that you 'won't do it again' is enough. A stronger lesson may be needed, so that you remember not to do it again.

I knew that pain was to follow that statement, but how much and what kind was a mystery. Maleficent had become more creative with her punishments lately, resulting in painful marks in areas where no one would see them. Her recent favorite was spanking me with a paddle covered in iron rivets. It left burning marks on my buttocks and upper legs, making it difficult to sit for several days. As long as she didn't hold the paddle to my skin though, the marks did face. Once she simply held it against my skin, and the resulting burns had scarred over. I hoped that the scars would fade, but only time would tell. Iron did not hurt me as much as it did my mother, but I did not recover from the burns as quickly as she did.

My mother continued to circle me a few more times until she halted in front of me. She grabbed my chin and looked into my eyes. I knew that she could see stubbornness and fear warring in my eyes, and I could only hope that what she saw did not aggravate her further. "You expect pain," she purred. "But I think that a new kind of pain is needed this time. It will take some planning though. You are to stay in your room until it is ready." She then left the room, locking the door on her way out.

I stood there, breathing hard. What did she mean? What kind of punishment was in store for me this time? I dreaded the opening of the door, but laid down to a fitful sleep when the clock struck 3AM and my mother had not yet returned. I knew that I would probably need to be rested for whatever she came up with, so I tried to prepare myself.

When I woke up the next day, it was almost noon. My mother had not yet returned. I wasn't sure if I wanted her to show up and get it over with, or delay the inevitable a few more hours. She hadn't given me any food, but I was able to slake my thirst in the bathroom attached to my room. The water had a bit of a metallic taste, but it helped to mask my hunger. I sat and watched the clock on the wall, waiting for my punishment.

Finally, my mother returned.

"Get up," my mother spat, then turned around and walked out. I followed her out to the enclosed courtyard behind out house. "Explain why you were late."

I looked warily at my mother, but her face remained impassive. I knew that my next words would directly impact the severity of my punishment. If I lied, and she actually knew what I had been doing, I was dead. If I told the truth, then the punishment would be harsh because I knew that she did not like me spending time with Jay and his mom. I decided that the likelihood of her already knowing where I had been was too high, so I opted for the truth. "I was at Jay's house yesterday."

My mother nodded her head, indicating that she already knew this. I was incredibly thankful that I had opted for the truth now, because being caught in a lie would only make things worse.

"You know that I don't like you hanging around at that house. Jafar was a good villain, but that wife of his has softened him and she holds too much sway over his son. Why they want anything to do with you to begin with I'll never know." She rolled her eyes as she spoke.

"Jay is my friend," I replied hotly, "and his mother is wonderful." My mother's eyes turned towards me then and pulsed green. I froze in terror. I had just broken two cardinal rules: don't ever argue with my mother during a punishment, and never call anyone a friend.

"You worthless girl," Maleficent exclaimed, "friends are a weakness and I will not have you coddled by Jafar's worthless wife Scheherazade. You are ten years old now, and it is time to grow up and smell the brimstone."

"She is a far better mother than you ever were," I shouted back, knowing that I would be punished further for my defiance.

My mother just grinned and told her goons to, "bring the worthless woman in."

I gasped as I saw Jay's mom dragged into the room. I could hardly recognize her; she was so badly beaten. I started crying as I shouted at my mother, "what have you done. Do anything you want with me, but leave her alone."

"Oh, I will do anything I want to you anyway, and I am going to remove this weakness from your life." My mother cackled evilly as she had her goons throw Jay's mom at my feet. "She has been beaten so badly that she will not survive. I will give you the chance to strike the fatal blow, or I will kill her son too. He will never want you after you kill his mother but he will live, or you stand by the family and they both die."

I cried for the first time in years, giant sobs wracking my body as I threw myself into one last, desperate hug with the woman who practically raised me. "It's okay Mal," Jay's mom whispered in my ear, "do as Maleficent asks so that my children may live, for you are as much my child as Jay is now."

I raised my eyes to the rooftops and saw Jay standing there. His shoulders were shaking, so I knew that he was crying, but he was hidden in the side of a chimney so Maleficent had not seen him. He caught my eyes and slowly nodded his head. He understood my dilemma and agreed with his mom. Striking the final blow to an already dying woman would redeem myself in my mother's eyes and cause her to ease up on my physical torment, and he knew that his mom was willing to die for us both.

My biological mother handed me a fireplace poker and egged me on. I closed my eyes and swung, hearing a wet crunch and feeling the skull of the mother of my heart give way. I gathered my wits about me and faced my mother with my head held high. "I understand your teachings now about weakness. I am now free to be as evil as you desire." My mother nodded with approval and walked away, leaving the body lying on the ground. Once she was gone, I collapsed on the only real mom I had ever known and felt my body shake with silent sobs. Jay slid down the rooftop and walked over, looking down at me hunched over his mother. "I am so sorry…" I started, but he held up his hand to stop me.

He had tears streaming down his face as he knelt down and reached towards me. I flinched before I heard him say in a strong voice, "it's okay." I looked at him in wonder. "I understand what you had to do and why you had to do it. Maleficent (he rarely called her my mother anymore) gave you no choice, and mom understood what she was asking of you." I threw myself at Jay and he caught me in a surprisingly strong embrace. "I've trusted you from the moment we met, and have loved you as my sister for six years. This changes nothing, and I would still follow you anywhere. You are stronger than you know, and now you need to show that strength to Maleficent. You can be yourself with me, but don't give her any reason to doubt your devotion to her. It is too dangerous for you, and I don't want you to be put in a position where you have to kill again."

I looked at Jay in awe. "What did I do to deserve you," I asked through my tears.

"You simply do, by being you." He smiled at me tenderly and then turned to his mother. "Let's get her home so we can bury her properly. And we don't need to tell my dad how or why she died."


	6. Fleshing Out the Four

**Fleshing out the four**

**Author's Note:**

Chapter five was kind of heavy, so I thought I would give you something lighter to end the weekend on. We finally pull the Core Four together here, and you watch Mal start to build the network she is proud of. Someone commented that murder seemed low, even for Maleficent. I agree that it is a bit extreme by Disney's standards, but I'm not Disney so I can do whatever I want. I don't own any of these characters, but I am enjoying molding them into my own vision.

A guest has commented that they plan to write their own story based off of my chapters. They did not comment as a fanfiction user, so I am unable to find where they plan to post them. I have responded in a comment but, if that guest is reading this chapter, then please let me know how to contact you. I am pleased that you found my idea unique enough to expound upon, but I hope that you plan to give me credit when copying my story word for word.

**Warning** This chapter is a bit lighter, but it still refers to child abuse and the potential of rape on the Isle. I explore several levels of evil in this story, as I believe that not all villains are created equal. If abuse is a trigger for you, then either proceed with caution or go back and watch the movies (they rock ;).

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**Jay's point of view**

Mal and I were out stealing for my father's shop, like we often did after school. I looked up and saw Mal pause, watching two of her mother's stupider goons approaching a young blue haired girl about our age. She looked frightened, but stood her ground.

"Well, well, what do we have here," Mal said as she approached the standoff. "Does my mother know that you are attacking the daughter of the Evil Queen while she is having tea with the girl's mother?" The goons started stammering and backed up. "If you leave now, then I won't tell her that you were acting without orders. And I wouldn't try to get me in trouble for interrupting your fun, because you won't like her reaction when she realizes who you were harassing."

I walked over and stopped just behind Mal's right shoulder, flexing my muscles. I was only twelve, but I was the largest in my class and my muscular frame made me look older. The goons looked at each other and slunk off, leaving the disheveled blue haired beauty behind. "What is your name," I asked her.

"Evie," she said quietly. She suddenly launched herself at Mal, pulling her into a huge hug and crying out her thanks. I was stunned, as no one got away with hugging Mal anymore, not even me.

Mal stood there with her arms awkwardly held out to the side. Evie pulled back and looked at her, "you're supposed to hug me back."

"I don't do hugs," said Mal. Evie wouldn't let go though, so eventually Mal closed her arms around the girl in an awkward hug. Evie took to following us around after that, and basically made herself a nuisance until Mal threw up her hands and accepted the persistent blue beauty.

Mal and I started honing Evie's existing street smarts, and she soon became quite the proficient thief. She usually distracted the vendors while Mal and I made off with their stuff, and was good at flirting with people on the street while she picked their pockets. She came across as innocent so she wasn't suspected, but the younger crowd knew how "bad" she could be.

Surprisingly, Mal actually began to take to Evie. She was more accepting of the girl's affection, actually returning her hugs when she thought no one was looking. It was good to see Mal connecting with a girl her age. She usually stuck with me, and I will freely admit that I am not the most affectionate person. Evie also started to make sure that Mal and I were, not only outfitted with clothes without holes, but that we looked good. Having clothes that fit was a novelty for us, and Evie made them herself! Fabric was something that we added to our watch list for stealing, and our success always resulted in what we now dubbed an "Evie hug".

One day, about four months after Evie joined us, a slight boy with black and white hair showed up at the market. We had seen him before, but had never hassled him because he was timid and did nothing to challenge us. He was limping that day, and Evie's soft heart was touched. "We should see if he's okay," she said as she left us to walk towards the boy.

Mal and I looked at each other. I shrugged my shoulders and Mal rolled her eyes. She asked rhetorically, "Why do I have the feeling that our crew is going to grow again?"

I laughed and replied, "because, despite your outward disgust, you have a soft heart."

"Stop insulting me," she said agitatedly, but she stalked off after Evie and I smiled behind her back. "And stop smiling," she snapped. Sometimes I wonder if she has eyes in the back of her head, and then I caught her smirk in the mirror of a stall display that gave her a clear view of my face. I rolled my eyes and followed her into the crowd.

The young boy, Carlos, seemed to slot into our group seamlessly. He already knew the art of pick pocketing, and was so graceful that he could slip away without being seen. If anyone did notice his actions, then he could run fast enough that he was never caught. The four of us gained a reputation for our skills, and the identity of Mal's mother ensured that we went unchallenged by most of the Isle's inhabitants.

One thing bringing Carlos into the fold did, was give us an in to helping the poorer and weaker kids on the Isle. Carlos may still live with his mom, but he was not treated well and often resorted to the streets to feed himself or obtain clothing. He introduced us to small bolt holes where the abused and orphaned villain kids banded together in an attempt to survive. Mal did have a soft heart, although she tried to hide it, and the clear need for organization and leadership in this instance seemed to bring her alive.

Soon, she had organized the bolt holes, appointing older kids to take care of the younger and train the more promising kids how to steal and where to get the best food without getting caught. She taught them how to take a portion of something, instead of the whole lot, so the owner simply thought that they were going through their food faster than usual and didn't get suspicious. This worked especially well at Ursula's restaurant. We even focused our own stealing towards supporting the kids in our care. None of the adults knew what we did, and even the more well provided for kids were unaware. The only people who knew what we did were those who directly benefited from our actions.

The only way you made your way into our protection, was to be brought in by someone else. The kids were very careful about vetting new kids, because they knew what could happen if their judgement was faulty. If the adult villains or the more successful kids found out about the situation, the bolt holes could be raided for goods an all our hard work would be undone. Moving a bolt hole's location was tedious, but we made sure that portability was a priority in case a group was discovered. We also made sure that there were multiple bolt holes, so that there were places the kids could retreat to if their primary bolt hole was discovered.

We were viewed as evil by the adults and rival gangs of villain kids, but the weaker unaffiliated kids knew that they were taken care of as long as they didn't tell anyone that we were responsible for their bounty.

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**Carlos' Point of View**

"Up, up up!" I heard a child cry in laughter. I looked over and saw Jay throwing little Violet up in the air. She was the daughter of Claude Frollo, who gained custody of his daughter when her mother died, but he rejected her when she was born with only three fingers on her right hand. He was one of my least favorite villains. He rejected anyone who didn't reach his standards of perfection, and he 'took' any woman he wanted regardless of their objections. Any way you put it; he was the lowest of the low. The only reason I hated Maleficent more, was because she routinely hurt the girl I now viewed as a sister. Luckily, Mal and Evie's moms made sure that they fell outside of Frollo's grasp. Their oddly colored hair also helped. Frollo hated anything he perceived as an 'abnormality'.

Jay smiled as he tossed Violet in the air, watching as she giggled with glee. "Fly little flower," Jay cried. We all loved Violet, she touched our lives more than any of the other kids we cared for. The one she truly connected to though was Mal.

"Mal," I heard Violet squeal. I turned around and saw Mal enter the bolt hole with a package in her hands. I looked at her questioningly and her eyes clearly told me to hold my tongue. I couldn't communicate with only facial expressions, like she could with Jay, but I could read a few obvious ones. Her eyes saying "shut up", was one of them.

"Hello Violet," Mal said, "and how's my little flower this morning?"

"I'm so happy! I'm turning five today! Jay has been tossing me so high! I'm so happy you're here!" Violet had a way of talking in all exclamation points when she was excited, and she latched on to Mal like a leech. Even Evie couldn't rival Violet's hugs. To Mal's credit, she returned the hug as fiercely as it was given. For all Mal preached that love was a weakness on the Isle, she was completely helpless when it came to Violet. No one else got under her skin so effortlessly, and the two years since the abandoned girl joined our group had seen Mal soften. Violet was one of the first kids we actively rescued from an abusive environment, and one of the most precious in all of our eyes.

Mal reached down to where she dropped the package she was carrying. "Since it is your birthday today, I have a gift for you." Mal smiled as she spoke, watching Violet's eyes light up.

"What is it?" Violet asked in awe. She couldn't believe that she was getting a gift. Her father had beaten into her, literally, the belief that she was worthless and undeserving of anything. The night Frollo finally abandoned her, Mal scooped her up and carried her to the nearest bolt hole. We had been watching her for a week, once we heard about the beating's she suffered, and were only looking for a chance to steal her away. She now lived in the bolt hole farthest from her father's home, and was happy as a clam. Well, a clam that didn't end up at Ursula's place anyway. Some sayings just didn't make any sense.

"You'll just have to open it to find out." Mal's voice brought me back to the present…no pun intended…in time to watch Violet open her gift.

Violet let out another happy squeal as she threw herself into Mal's arms. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she cried out in joy. She was holding a teddy bear with a white body, brown head, three black paws and one gray paw. Apparently, the manufacturer made a mistake and threw the bear out instead of fixing it. It looked brand new, and I knew that the difference in color would only endear the bear to Violet even more.

Life was good. Well, as good as life on the Isle could get. I had three friends who were more like siblings, and groups of kids that looked up to me. I felt satisfaction in providing for our kids, and happiness in working with my friends to do so. Life at home may stink sometimes, and Mal may occasionally need a few days of down time when she took the brunt of her mother's anger; but all in all, life was good.

This continued for a couple more years, until the news came from Auradon of a new king, and his first royal proclamation that would change our lives forever.


	7. Leaving the Isle

We're finally leaving the Isle! Things should start moving more quickly now, as I have several more chapters written. Most of the Isle chapters were writing themselves before my muse would let me post this chapter, but now we can start moving forward.

I'll say it again, I own nothing. Disney owns Descendants and all the money it produces. I do own my imagination; I just use Disney's figurines.

One of my readers has posted an alternative to this story on Wattpad at kworrel21, called The Deepest Scars. It supposedly veers off of my story at chapter five, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet because I don't have a Wattpad account.

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** Leaving the Isle**

**Mal's point of view**

"Come my child, we have a golden opportunity here. You have been invited to attend Auradon Prep, which means that you will be outside of the barrier." I listened to my mother outline her plan for domination, and how my only responsibility would be to get a hold of Fairy Godmother's wand so I could bring down the barrier around the island. "And if you don't, she went on menacingly, you won't like the consequences."

I scoffed, feigning disinterest as my heart raced. I knew what the "consequences" she was referring to entailed. Whenever I disobeyed her or didn't live up to her expectations, then the result was either physical pain to myself or the death of a random villain or child of a villain who displeased her. I didn't tell the others in the core four about the second half of this punishment, but I couldn't always hide the injuries from the first part. This was also the reason that my dad and I pretended that we didn't know each other when we met in the street. I didn't want him to become the next victim.

My mother went over her plan for us to steal Fairy Godmother's wand with the Core Four and their parents, seeming to get along with the other three parental figures for the moment. Evie and Carlos's mothers were not the kindest, but Jafar wasn't bad. His parental instincts were not as strong as they were when his wife was alive, but I tried not to think about that. I knew that the relationship between our parents would only last until Maleficent got off the Isle, at which point her only priority was herself.

"Don't worry mother," I said, "we'll take care of everything. Although it may take us some time." I hoped that I could buy us some time to… do what? I wasn't sure, but the one thing I did know was that I did NOT want my Mother freed from the Isle. But I wondered if my defiance would come at the cost of the lives of others? I could only hope that we could get all of the innocent kids off of the Isle before that happened. Jay, Evie and Carlos didn't see how releasing people from the Isle was so bad, but they didn't know my mother like I did. Jay knew a little bit from when his mother died, but wasn't aware of the depravity of which my mother was capable on a regular basis.

I left my mother's place and knew that I had to find someone to protect the Isle's kids while we were gone. I looked at my crew, "we need to talk to Uma. She has the resources to look after the Isle's kids."

"What," Carlos exclaimed. "You hate each other, what makes you think that she would agree to do anything for you?"

"Because she is the villain kid with the most power, other than us of course. She hates me on principle, but I rejected her friendship because it would make one group too powerful. The adults would seek to control the most powerful group of villains on the Isle, and I needed an explanation for my mother if I failed to do something that she asked of me." I assumed the position of a supplicant and jokingly said, "Oh mother, I couldn't get the item you wanted because the other gang of equally powerful kids tricked me and got it first."

Carlos and Evie laughed, understanding now what I was doing, but Jay met my eyes and nodded his head. He understood that the excuse of another gang was for more than simple sharing of blame, and that my actual conversations with my mother were not so lighthearted. The four of us headed down to Uma's place, knowing that we didn't have much time before we had to leave.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Harry Hook taunted us as we approached Ursula's restaurant.

"I'm here to see Uma," I said. "I figured that her mom would have her working during the lunch rush, so I thought I would interrupt her 'Cinderella' act."

Harry gave out a surprised bark of laughter before swallowing it and looking around to see if his reaction had been noted. "I wouldn't let her hear you say that unless you want a fight," he cautioned.

I nodded once in acknowledgement and walked on. Harry was right, if I wanted Uma to listen to me, then I needed to keep my sarcasm in check. "Here goes nothing," I muttered, before opening the door to the restaurant owned by Uma's mother, Ursula.

"Loser, party of four," Uma taunted us. She seriously needed some new material, but I bit back my sarcastic comeback.

"Hello Uma," I said, "I only have a few minutes so why don't we sit down and discuss a proposition." I set up my dominance from the get go, making it clear that my time was more important than hers. "After all, my ride to Auradon will be here soon."

Uma grit her teeth, but led me to a quieter area of the restaurant before speaking in a challenging voice. "And what do the Core Four idiots have to say today?" She laughed at her own witticism, but my mission was too important and I wouldn't be baited.

"We will be unavailable for a while," I began. Uma gave an amused huff at my choice of words, but did not interrupt. "I need someone to take over our responsibilities, TEMPORARILY." I made sure to emphasize my last word. The last thing I needed was Uma thinking that she could take over the whole Isle while I was gone. I hoped to get all of the kids out instead of coming back here myself, but Uma didn't need to know that.

"What responsibilities," Uma laughed, "all you do is strut around and annoy everyone."

I didn't have time for jokes. I look straight at Uma and let my eyes flash, a simple parlor trick but effective nonetheless. "What we do, is feed and clothe the abandoned and forgotten kids of the Isle. We gather first aid supplies to patch up the kids after they are abused. We gather clothes and blankets for the kids who have been cast out or whose parents have perished, and we feed the hungry kids by stealing food from the adults who have plenty." I sat back and let Uma process what I just said.

At first, she seemed ready to dismiss my words, but then she got contemplative look on her face. She was clearly running through her knowledge of our actions in a new context when her eyes widened. "I guess that's why you target our kitchen so often," she said thoughtfully. "Why are you coming to me, why not find someone else to do your charity work?"

I pulled no punches. "Because you have the most resources, and enough members in your crew to carry out our work. This isn't easy. It only works because we hide our actions from the adults. The only people who know what we do are the kids who directly benefit from our care. We play up our skills at stealing and villainous behavior to the adults, but actively avoid telling anyone where our bounty is funneled. As long as they believe that we are bad to the bone, and some of the stolen items show up at Jafar's shop, we can work behind the scenes. This is not about recognition; it is about survival."

I could see the moment that Uma finally understood the task that I was giving her. Her look of understanding quickly turned to one of determination. "I'll take better care of them than you ever did."

"I'm not sure that is possible," I smiled, "but you can certainly try. Let me show you the common bolt holes before I leave and let the house mothers/fathers know that you will be supplying them with provisions now."

Uma and I exited the restaurant with strong struts and headed out towards the first bolt hole. Harry and Gil, apparently Gaston's son had joined the group waiting for us outside, looked confused but followed our lead. I did a quick run-down with Uma and introduced her to the older children that took responsibility for the younger kids in each hidden home, or bolt hole. Uma seemed to be impressed by how well we had organized everything, and I could see her mentally taking notes. The kids looked a bit dubious, but there wasn't much they could do in the way of argument. The Core Four were leaving, and they needed a strong supplier if they were to survive.

When it came time for Uma and I to part ways, she held out her hand for me to shake. "No one else may know about what you do, but I want to let you know that it is appreciated and that I will live up to your expectations."

I had never seen Uma so serious before, and had never received a compliment from her. I hid my surprise and shook her hand. "If anyone could do this in our stead," I said, "it would be you." We finished our hand shake and quickly pulled our hands back, pretending that the moment of comradery had never happened.

The large noise of a gathering crowd came from the dock area and I took a deep breath. "Well guys, I think our ride is here." The Core Four fell into formation and we strutted towards the dock, exuding confidence and solidarity even though we were not at all ready for what would come next.


	8. Arriving in Auradon

We are finally arriving in Auradon, and you are receiving a longer chapter as a reward for making it this far! I don't own the Descendants franchise, but I did borrow a few lines from the movie. I enjoyed writing this different take on the limo ride and trip to the museum, but hope it isn't too hard to follow for those who haven't seen the movie recently. If so, I highly recommend a re-watch party!

I am finding reviews to be addictive, and knowing that my work is appreciated feeds my muse. Let me know what you think of the chapter, but please don't flame without an explanation of your complaint.

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**Arriving in Auradon**

**Mal's point of view**

While Jay and Carlos descended into childish argument over the candy provided in the limo to cover up their nervousness, and Evie started wondering about what princes would be available at school in an attempt to distract herself, I started plotting. There had to be a way to get the kids off of the Isle without releasing the adult villains. My mother should not be unleashed on the world, but I had to remove her favorite prey before openly standing against her. Maybe this 'Prince Ben' would help us? I certainly did not trust his father, who marooned us on the Isle in the first place and didn't care enough to check up on us to see if the population had changed. He continued to send the same number of rations to the Isle each week, which was not nearly enough because the kids now outnumbered the adults by at least two to one. When there is nothing to do, adults will always find some activity to fill the time. Luckily, we had access to the trash from Auradon, where some people thought nothing of throwing out excess food before it rotted completely.

The limo finally arrived at Auradon Prep and Evie and I alighted from the vehicle with poise. The first thing I noticed was how bright it was compared to the Isle, which was almost perpetually under a dark cloud that caused frequent storms. The boys tumbled out of the vehicle, only to continue fighting over the candy. I rolled my eyes. Their way of dealing with stress was not making a good impression. "Guys, people are watching," I hissed at them. They quickly straightened up and we faced the large crowd in front of us. Clearly, we were to be made a spectacle of as a goodwill program. Maybe this 'Prince Ben' person was only doing this for publicity after all. I would keep an eye on him before approaching him about the rest of the kids on the Isle. In the meantime, we had to make a good impression so Auradon would be open to the idea of more kids leaving the Isle.

Prince Ben came over to welcome us. When he shook my hand, he paused to look deep into my eyes. I felt an odd connection with him, and he clearly felt something as well. I wasn't sure what it was, and experiencing things I didn't understand made me defensive. Ben shook off the moment of connection and went on with a bit of a pompous speech. He hid his nervousness well, but I was good at sniffing out weaknesses in others. After Ben finished his speech about this momentous day when he welcomed kids from the Isle in what he hoped to be the beginning of a great friendship, I tried to break the ice. "Or it could be known as the day when you showed four people where the bathrooms are."

"A bit much?" He asked me with a wince.

"A bit more than a bit much," I replied.

He took a deep breath and seemed to relax. When he wasn't trying too hard to be a ruler, he was actually kind of cute. Bad Mal, I told myself, you are not here to form a crush on the soon to be king. I had grown used to suppressing my feelings on the Isle, so I drew on those skills now. His girlfriend then stepped forward and made sure that we knew exactly who he was and that he was hers. She then went on to insult my mother, couched in a speech of forgiveness saying that she did not blame Maleficent's actions against her mother, Sleeping Beauty, on me. I responded in kind and we ended up in a bit of a stare off. I may always lose these things against my mother, but I win against everyone else.

Ben interrupted our stand off and Audrey was quick to foist us off on a boy named Doug, who identified himself as Dopey's son, and didn't give Ben a chance to contradict her before dragging him off. I wasn't sure how much Ben could help us if his girlfriend led him around by the nose. Maybe my mother's plan was the only one that could get the kids off of the Isle after all. If I had the wand, I might be able to isolate a small hole in the barrier through which I could funnel the kids without letting their parents out. It was risky, and likely doomed to fail, but it was my only plan at this point because Ben looked like he wouldn't be able to keep us here for too long if enough people opposed our presence. We probably needed to act fast.

Doug seemed a bit nervous around Evie and, at first, I wasn't sure if he was afraid of us or crushing on Evie. I quickly decided that it was the latter and wondered how this could work to our advantage. The Core Four always used every advantage available, I thought proudly. I then realized that our name would probably change to something like Villain Kids, or VK's for short. No one here knew about our reputation as The Core Four, and trying to name your own group in a new setting was tacky.

When Evie and I entered our room, she seemed predisposed to like everything around her; but she changed her outward opinion to "gross" when I used that word to describe the room. I felt a bit bad killing her mood, but I couldn't allow myself to become complacent. I quickly closed the curtains, as the excessive light was beginning to give me a headache. We joined up with the boys to start plotting, but they were already as entranced with their surroundings as Evie was. Jay was the first one to focus when I asked Evie to find the magic wand, as he knew a bit more about what we could expect as a result of our failure.

We identified the museum where the wand was located and headed out before we lost our nerve. I knew if we became too attached to this place, then we might not be able to follow through with this plan later. The more we came to enjoy Auradon, the harder it would be to risk the release of our parents to get the kids off of the Isle. Failure would mean that we were sent back to the Isle, and the more attached we became to Auradon the harder it would be to risk it all.

When Jay decided to break the front door of the museum down with brute force, I knew that I had to think fast. Not only was I afraid that we would be heard, but I also didn't want Jay to injure himself if the door had extra protections built in. The others seemed to forget that we were no longer on the Isle, and invisible magical protections could be dangerous. Carlos laughed at Jay when he landed on the floor instead of hitting the door, as I opened it with a spell before he could make contact, but I chose not to comment. I used another spell that I had memorized from my mother's spell book to put the guard to sleep.

This magic thing was addicting. It was like my body was finally awake with the magic I first felt coursing through my veins when we crossed the Barrier around the Isle. I was always able to do a little magic on the Isle, since it was my mother that was keyed into the wards and not me, but it was always difficult and my connection felt a bit staticky. I had memorized every spell in my Mother's spell book before I was eight, so she didn't even offer it to me as I left the Isle. She knew that I already had all the tools I needed, and she liked to keep the book close at hand; although heaven knows what good she thought it would do her on the Isle.

We walked down the halls, poking our heads in various rooms in an attempt to locate the wand. We entered one door and were suddenly face to face with our parents. My breath caught as I fought against my fear before I realized that these were just wax replicas, and not the real thing. I looked at the others out of the corner of my eye and was comforted by the fact that they all had similar reactions.

Carlos seemed transfixed by his mother's gaze, and his body seemed to fold in on itself. "I'm never going to forget Mother's Day again," he whimpered. While this seemed like a fairly innocuous statement to anyone else, I knew the painful story behind it. Our parents didn't usually celebrate incidental holidays, or any holiday for that matter, but one year his Mother decided that he should cater to her every whim on the appointed Sunday. Although, since he already acted as her slave every day, I don't know what she thought he could do differently. When he left his closet in the morning to begin his chores, he didn't have a bedroom but at least he had outgrown the dog cage, he failed to wish her a "Happy Mother's Day". He didn't even know what day it was, so he was set up for failure. He suffered a fairly severe beating that day and was locked in his closet for a week. Jay and I snuck food to him through the high window when we could, but he was even skinnier than usual when he was finally released. It took over two years for his panic attacks to ease when someone mentioned Mother's Day, and it sounded like he was being transported to that day by the manic expression on the wax figure of his mother.

Jay swallowed hard when he saw the hunched position the wax figure of his father took. Jafar was not the worst parent on the Isle, but his parenting skills did take a noticeable dip when his wife died. I try not to think about that day, and I know that Jafar blames my mother. I'm just glad that he didn't know how things really went down that day. He loved his wife, who came to the Isle with him on a trumped-up charge because she loved him; unfortunately, the intensity of that love didn't necessarily transfer to his son. He did love Jay in his own way, and was one parent who rarely starved their child when food was available. He found that Jay brought back more merchandise for his shop when the boy was well fed. Jay frequently shared his food with Carlos and I behind his father's back.

Evie's heart stopped beating for a moment when she saw the wax figure of her mom. There was a time when she thought that her mother loved her but, after seeing the kids at Auradon, she wasn't so sure. She used to think that her mother's constant criticisms of Evie's looks were because she wanted to improve them, although it wreaked havoc on Evie's self-esteem. Eventually she realized that the constant insults were because putting someone else down gave her mother pleasure. Her mother kept her well fed, not because she loved her, but because a starved child would not attract a prince. Although, this consideration did not start until she hit fourteen and her mother realized that Evie was her ticket out of squalor. Before that, she simply gave her half of all the food they gathered. This 50/50 division was higher than most kids on the Isle, so she was considered lucky. The problem was, that her mother was not very good at obtaining food, so Evie often fed the both of them with foot gathered (aka stolen) on a trip through the market place on her way home from school. She would wait until someone was inevitably caught stealing and, when the owner of a stall left to chase the thief she would slip in and take her own portion. This tactic was especially effective when she worked in tandem with Jay.

The other three were able to shake off the momentary shock and move on, but I felt transfixed by my mother's gaze. I was drawn back to a memory of my mom teaching me how to be "evil like her". This was a common theme in my lessons, and even resulted in a strangely terrifying song one day when my mother was bored. I was startled out of my reverie when Evie came back to the room and tell me that they found the wand.

This time, Jay's impulsive use of brute force sent us running from the museum without our prize. He failed to factor in the possibility of a force field around the wand, and I was too slow with my warning. I wasn't sure if I was thankful or disappointed that we didn't succeed, but I did inform the others that our failure meant that we had to go to school tomorrow. Starting the day with the new Remedial Goodness class. Can you say, "discrimination"?


	9. Ben's Breakup

Hello my lovely readers! This is only a short one, but a longer chapter is coming soon. I thought I would give you a quick tidbit tonight to tie you over. Reviews are addicting, and my Muse thanks you!

Before anyone complains about my version of the nickname VK's, I wanted to let you know why the distancing from that term fits this story. Mal is more interested in saving other children from the Isle, and her "evilness" is mostly played up as a defense mechanism. I wanted Ben to realize that there was more to the kids from the Isle than their parentage. This may change later, but for now the term will be used as a slur unless they choose to "own it" on their own terms.

As always, I own nothing. I enjoy playing in Disney's sandbox, and have added a dump truck to my toy collection for doing so.

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**Ben's Breakup**

**Ben's point of view**

"You shouldn't trust VK's, they could be…." I tuned Audrey out as she started in on the kids from the Isle again. I hated when she referred to them as VK's because made it sound that they were villains that happened to be kids, instead of the innocent children of villains. I was sick of her lack of compassion and willingness to give them a second chance; and it was technically a first chance because nothing they did condemned them to the Isle of the Lost. If she couldn't support me with my first royal decree, then how could I expect her to support me in anything else.

It was a long time in coming, but I knew that Audrey's and my relationship had to end. I tried to tell myself that it wasn't because of the new green-eyed beauty from the Isle with vibrant purple hair unlike anything I had ever seen before, but it was probably the straw that broke the camel's back. What a beautiful straw it was though. I shook my head out of my reverie to see that Mal was close enough to hear all the vitriol coming out of Audrey's mouth, which gave me the incentive I needed to cut her off.

"Audrey, if you can't respect my royal decisions, then maybe we don't have a future together." Audrey stopped mid word and her mouth hung open in shock. "I don't expect my girlfriend to agree with everything I do as a ruler, but I do expect her to respect it enough to have a reasonable conversation. All you are doing is dictating what you think I should do, even after hearing the reasons for my proclamation. The children of the Isle were not sent there for their own misdeeds, so they should be given the chance to make their own mistakes or reach their own heights of success."

Audrey seemed to gather her wits and shot back, "well when one of those mistakes destroys Auradon, you'll wish that you had listened to me."

"We're through," I said, "you are no longer my girlfriend." I walked away from Audrey, only to realize that I was walking towards Mal. I wonder if there's a metaphor hidden in that? I took a deep breath and started to apologize for Audrey. "Mal, I'm so sorry for what Audrey said, she shouldn't have…"

Mal interrupted me saying, "if I believed everyone's opinions about me, then I would have massive mental whiplash."

I smiled and then asked, "would you like to go on a date with me? I'd like to get to know you better."

She seemed taken aback before her countenance turned angry and she coldly said, "I am not a rebound date and will not be used to fuel a teenage need for rebellion."

I suddenly realized how my actions could be taken and back peddled. "No, no, I wasn't asking you as a rebound. I have actually wanted to get to know you better ever since you got here, but…."

"Audrey was in the way," she finished. I looked sheepish as she continued. "This is the fastest way to get all of her friends to hate me even more than they already do. They will say that I gave you a love potion or arrived with the sole objective of stealing you for myself."

"If you won't go on a date with me, then will you at least sit with me at lunch tomorrow?" I asked hopefully. I desperately wanted to connect with her on some level, but realized that I was probably moving too quickly in her eyes. It made me wish that I had broken up with Audrey last year when she insulted the visiting dignitaries from Atlantis, making fun of their lack of balance when first stepping onto solid ground. I knew that she wouldn't make a good queen after that incident, but we had been friends while growing up together and our parents had high hopes that we would make a good match. I tried to see the best in her, but she was turning into a selfish, spiteful woman that I didn't recognize.

Mal gave me a searching look before saying, "okay, we'll try lunch and see where it goes from there." I gave a huge grin and she rolled her eyes, but she had a small smile on her face so I knew that she wasn't angry.


	10. Lunch With Ben

I couldn't find a place to break this chapter up without making the first one super short, so you're getting a nice long one today. Remember, I own nothing; I just like to play in Disney's sandbox.

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**Lunch With Ben**

**Evie's point of view**

"I'm having lunch with Ben tomorrow." Mal said with a matter of fact look on her face. She didn't seem particularly enthused or disgusted, and I could tell that she was plotting.

I squealed with excitement. This was my chance to get Mal into a cute outfit without massive complaining, and it could be our ticket to a connection that could get the rest of the kids off of the Isle. "This is so amazing," I said, "you'll have the future king all to yourself for a while, so you can get him to fall in love with you and ask you to be his girlfriend. You'll have his ear and he will listen to your suggestions, since he seems to be the type of guy who would listen to those around him. I can do your hair up with braids to go with a green dress, to bring out your eyes, and I can use a light blush…"

"Evie," Mal said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "This lunch is because I turned down his request for a date, but he still wants to get to know me."

"What? How could you turn down a date, do you know the opportunities being his girlfriend would open to you?" I looked at her, stunned at her matter of fact tone when saying she turned down such a desirable place in Ben's life. I knew she wasn't completely indifferent to his charms, and accepting would have been a strategic move.

"Accepting a date and becoming his girlfriend on the same day he dumped his old girlfriend would only serve to hurt our position here in Auradon." She started to outline her reasoning, and I should have known that she was thinking three steps ahead of me, as usual. "I would be decried as the villain who stole the heart of the future king, probably with a love spell or some such nonsense. I would make enemies of all Audrey's friends, and justify the opinions of those that felt it was too dangerous to bring kids from the Isle to live alongside the precious offspring of the last generation's heroes. I need to wait until gossip over Ben and Audrey's break-up calms down before letting him pursue me." Mal then got one of her playfully evil looks on her face as she continued, "which is why I need you and Doug to sit with us tomorrow." I gasped in shock; she knew I needed a prince to satisfy my mother, so I didn't understand why she would dangle the one boy who might change my mind in front of me. "And," she continued, "I shouldn't dress any differently than usual because it is supposed to be a casual meal between friends. I can't be seen as trying to win his attention, and we shouldn't be alone."

I was so busy freaking out over a lunch date with Doug, that I completely missed her comment about not getting to dress her up like a doll until after she escaped our room. "One day I'll be with it enough to give a witty comeback when she tries to dodge a makeover," I muttered to myself. "Now does she plan to ask Doug to eat with us, or is that up to me?" I hate it when she leaves me without clear instructions. On the upside though, she leaves plenty of loop holes that way. I smiled gleefully as I proceeded to remove all pieces of clothing from Mal's closet except for what I wanted her to wear the next day. I'll call it a laundry mishap, and she can't get mad because she never told me I couldn't choose what she 'shouldn't' wear tomorrow. She could dodge my hair brush and makeup palate, but I could still control her wardrobe. I could just see the mix of frustration and reluctant respect in her eyes now. Tomorrow would be a good day.

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**Evie's Point of View**

"EVIE," Mal practically screamed the next morning when she opened her wardrobe.

I smiled to myself in satisfaction and looked at Mal through my vanity mirror. "Is something wrong Mal?" I could tell that my light tone was feeding Mal's frustration. When her eyes started to glow though, I thought that I may have gone a bit too far.

She practically growled, "where is my jacket?" Her eyes were flashing brighter now and I realized that taking her favorite jacket away was definitely going too far. I was trying to get her into a cute white sweater, but I should have remembered how much of a security blanket her jean jacket was for her. It hid the most private of scars and she had been wearing it ever since I first met her. I hadn't seen her without the jacket until a full two years after I was accepted into her crew, and it was a moment that I wouldn't soon forget. It was that day, when the jacket was first ripped apart, that I finally understood how cruel Maleficent truly was. Mal had begged me to fix the jacket, and I have done so several times since that day. Denim does wear down over time, and I started getting her to wear other jackets whenever I was patching up her old one. Whenever she was unsure or felt threatened though, she still went for the old faded jacket. Apparently, she was more nervous about this "simple lunch" than she let on. Was she anxious about making a good impression so that Ben would listen to her about getting the other kids off of the Isle, or did she actually like him?

Mal's eyes were fully flashing now and her head was starting to steam. I knew that I had gone too far when she started to steam with anger, and that she didn't like it when anyone saw her do it. She didn't talk about that particular quirk, and I think that I'm the only one who knows why she does it. She blames the eyes on her mom, and most people assume that the steam is related to her mother's dragon form. She doesn't correct them, and the only reason I know the truth is that I caught her in an unguarded moment after she met her father's eyes in the marketplace last year. She doesn't talk about her father, and usually parrot's her mother's description of him as a "useless mortal." I think that Jay and Carlos suspect his identity, but Mal never said anything to them and they cared about her enough not to push.

"I'm sorry, I'll get your jacket for you." Mal's eyes didn't leave mine as I reached sideways into my wardrobe to grab her jacket. "I just thought that you might want to wear something a little more…"

"Pretty pink princess like," she spat out as she threw her jacket around her shoulders. As her arms slipped into the sleeves, her eyes calmed down and she stopped steaming. She did wear the green dress that I left in her wardrobe, but she wadded up the sweater and threw it under her bed. I made a note to pick it up later, when she wasn't around. "I'm not an Auradon debutant, so don't try to dress me like one. If Ben is going to listen to anything that I have to say, then he needs to see me as the edgy Isle girl that I am, and not someone trying to forget herself in the new world he's opened up for me. I am not leaving the Isle behind, and he needs to understand that or we will never work."

"For someone who's not trying to win him as a boyfriend, you sure sound like a girl with a crush." I tried to redirect the conversation into a teasing area, and Mal finally let it go.

"Just don't expect me to swoon at his feet like a fool." Her eyes were no longer flashing and the corner of her mouth quirked up in a slight smile, so I knew that I was back in her good graces. Which is a good thing, because Mal can be vicious when she is angry. "If he wants to pursue me, then he is the one who will have to do the swooning." We laughed as we linked arms and headed to our first class of the day.

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**Ben's Point of View**

I stood in the lunchroom, fidgeting as I waited for Mal to walk through the door. I wanted to make a good impression, but Mal was correct in saying that I tried moving too quickly. I didn't know much about her, but I knew how I felt the first time I took her hand in mine. It felt like coming home, and the spark in her eyes stirred my very soul. I knew that I would do anything to win her, and wait as long as it took for her to love me back. Wait, love? I took stock of my feelings and realized that I did love her. I guess love at first sight really does happen.

I saw a toe tapping in front of me and my eyes followed it up the boot clad feet to the hem of a green dress, continuing up to a jean jacket and then into the face of the girl I was just contemplating. Her eyes were amused as she said, "earth to Ben. Are you with us?"

I chuckled and responded, "I will always be ready to spend time with you. Are you ready for lunch?" Well that was a stupid question, I kicked myself mentally, if she wasn't hungry then she wouldn't be here during lunch time. Mal didn't say anything, but I could tell that her thoughts echoed mine. If flushed a bit and gestured towards the lunch line. I looked up and saw that Evie was with her, and Doug quickly joined us. It looked like Mal was making this a double date to deflect attention, which is understandable giving her reservations about dating to begin with.

As we approached the food, I took note of the hungry expressions in Mal's and Evie's eyes. They seemed to take everything in and Evie turned to Mal at one point to ask her what the yellow noodles were. "I don't know," Mal responded, "I don't think any of it ended up on the Isle before it spoiled so I've never tried it." They looked at each other and quickly put a scoop of it on both of their plates.

"It's macaroni and cheese," I said, "basically it's a cheesy sauce over noodles." They looked a bit sheepish, knowing that I heard their whispered conversation, and I wondered why. When I recalled the exact words of the exchange, I started to wonder about their food situation on the Isle. As we sat down at a table I asked, "is the food here so very different from the Isle?"

Mal and Evie exchanged glances and I could practically see their conversation about what to tell me take place through their eyes alone. Evie seemed to be urging Mal to speak, but Mal seemed reluctant. "Let's just say, that food on the Isle is less plentiful and not quite as varied." Evie rolled her eyes at Mal's clear understatement. Spurred on by that look, Mal offered up further elaboration. "The amount of food shipped to the Isle is not enough to feed everyone, but your trash also gets processed through our Isle so we try to make up the difference. Your kingdom has a habit of throwing away food before it spoils completely, so we make do with what we can find.

My jaw dropped. "What do you mean the shipment isn't enough? How far off are we and why hasn't anyone said anything?"

I could see that Mal was gearing up for a sarcastic answer when Evie jumped in. "I don't think anyone knows how to contact the king directly because the shipment is automated. The kids on the Isle now outnumber the adults, but the supply shipment hasn't changed." She kept her voice even during this revelation, but I could tell that Mal was fuming.

"Mal," I turned to her, "is that true? Are the people of the Isle starving due to our negligence?"

Mal had calmed down and seemed to choose her words carefully. "Your father failed to take the potential of children into account when he shipped all of the villains off to the Isle. There was no source of entertainment, so the adults made their own and it resulted in a population boom." Her words were a bit crass, but I could tell that they were all true.

"I…I… how do I help," I stammered. "You shouldn't have to go through trash to get enough to eat. Do you know how far off the shipment is? Has there been a recent census that would help me to calculate a new shipment?"

Mal and Evie looked at me, seemingly stunned by my immediate attempt to find a solution. Mal replied, "the kids outnumber the adults by at least two to one, so the shipment could be tripled and it may still not be enough." I looked at the plentiful food on my plate and was slightly sick to my stomach. How could I justify eating when I had a whole Isle of people under my rule without enough to eat? Well, technically it was still my Dad's rule until my coronation, but I would be discussing this situation with him tonight and will work on getting an emergency shipment out tomorrow at the latest.

Mal seemed to understand my dilemma and spoke up, "if you don't eat now, then you won't have enough energy to help anyone else later." She looked at me kindly and I realized that she was telling me that she trusted me to help, but that she understood that nothing would be fixed right away. Every time she says something like that, I fall deeper in love with her. I just hope that she will be able to return my affections one day, when she feels more secure.

The rest of our lunch together went smoothly, with Doug, Evie, Mal and I exchanging amusing anecdotes about growing up. Evie's and Mal's stories were amusing, but I could sense that some details were missing. Reading between the lines, it sounds like they mostly subsisted on stolen items, and that it was a common occurrence on the Isle. When lunch ended, I made sure that Mal knew I wanted to continue eating lunch with her and anyone else who wished to join us. I could tell that Doug had enjoyed himself, and hoped that the four of us could make this a habit. Who knows, maybe adding new people to our lunch group would help Mal and the others to form friendships with people who could be powerful allies.

I wasn't naïve enough to think that I would be able to expand the program to bring more kids to Auradon without some political support, and kids are often the most effective way to sway their parent's decisions. Mal and the others could also use more human connection with people who don't expect anything in return for being nice. I come from a land where love at first sight is accepted and celebrated, while Mal comes from a place where love of any kind is considered a weakness. I knew that winning her trust and her heart would be a challenge, but I also knew that it would be worth it in the end.


	11. Royal Confrontation

Reviews are addicting, and LoveShipper has reviewed every chapter in this story so far. Thank you so much friend! I was inspired to edit and post the next chapter because you saw the same goodness in Ben that I do.

Once again, I only play in the Disney sandbox. If you want cannon compliance, then go watch the movies (they are awesome!).

**Royal Confrontation**

**King Adam's Point of View**

I was sitting beside my wife in the library when Ben flung the doors open. He was usually so mild mannered that I was surprised at his actions. He seemed to be taking deep breaths to calm down, and I wondered what had gotten him so riled up. If it was the children of those villains that he brought over, then they were going right back where they came from.

"Ben," Belle exclaimed, "I thought that you were staying on campus tonight. Did something happen?"

"You could say that mom," Ben said. "I had lunch with Mal and Evie, from the Isle, and learned some disturbing things. Did you know that the rations that you send to the Isle each week haven't changed since you raised the barrier? Did you know that the kids now outnumber the adults by at least two to one? Did you know that the children of the Isle are forced to go through our TRASH to find enough food to eat?" Ben's tone of voice kept increasing with his rapid-fire questions, until he was almost shouting.

I stood there with my mouth opening and closing, but nothing came out. I had never thought about the rations for the people of the Isle. I set up a recurring shipment to magically transfer to the Isle each week and, except for one spot check when I was feeling generous three years after we raised the barrier, hadn't thought about it since then. I suppose that I assumed someone was taking care of adjusting the shipment, but realized now that I never assigned that duty to anyone. When Ben was two, our trash system became overwhelmed. Cogsworth, one of my advisers, suggested funneling the trash through the Isle for processing so we could cut down on the flow through our usual channels. I hadn't seen any issues with this, as I didn't care much for the people on the Isle anyway. Now I was faced with my son, who was tenderhearted enough to reach out to the children on the Isle and give them a chance. He was always one to care for other people, so his anger over this perceived injustice was understandable. Now I just had to get him to see things from my point of view.

"Ben," I started, "we had no way of knowing that the villains on the Isle were even having children, and no way of knowing how many there were. I sent a group of soldiers over to the Isle to see if more provisions were needed shortly after you were born, and they said that there were only a handful of children and that things didn't need to change…"

"Well apparently they didn't look hard enough," Ben interrupted me. "How often did you send soldiers for a repeat census?" Ben's eyes skewered me and I started to get angry.

"What did you expect me to do. They are villains, they have hurt so many people. Why should I ensure that they live in comfort when they have so much to atone for? So what if they have to skip dessert or don't get new clothes every season, they deserve it." I knew that my beastly temper was starting to erupt, but Ben wasn't listening to me. "You only hear about their deeds in stories, but your mother and I lived them. Gaston was evil, he tried to steal your mother away to be his bride and tried to kill me."

Surprisingly, Ben stood up to me as his anger matched mine. "So you were hurt by the adults, I'm so sorry. But the kids on the Isle have done nothing to you. They too only know about you from stories, and all they know is that you formed a kingdom that doesn't care about them. If they can't even get enough food to eat, who do you think they blame?"

I grew angrier as Ben refused to see things my way. "Their parents are villains. What kind of values do you think they were taught? This is why I didn't want you to bring those kids over. They are playing the victims and are trying to get you to send them luxuries that they don't deserve."

"Luxuries," Ben shouted, "luxuries? If you call enough food to eat and clothes to wear luxuries then yes, I think that they deserve them. I'm not talking about diamond rings and cars, I'm talking about food and clothing, bedding and towels, shampoo and soap. The basic necessities of life for anyone with human dignity. They have nothing on the Isle, and I have watched the kids from the Isle treat even the pillows on their beds with awe. Their first meal in the lunchroom found them sneaking food out because they didn't know when they would be allowed to eat again. I just thought that they liked to snack, so I showed them the kitchen. Carlos's eyes were so wide that I thought they would pop out. They each savored their food more than anyone I had ever seen, and I should have realized then that something was off. No one should have to go hungry in our kingdom. When I finally learned the truth about the Isle today, I was so sick to my stomach that I could barely eat. It was Mal who told me that I wouldn't be able to change anything if I fainted from hunger. Those words showed me that she trusted me to do the right thing, and I won't let her down." Ben was panting by the time he reached the end of his tirade, and I was starting to understand what had set him off in the first place.

I hated admitting that I might be wrong about anything, and hearing him mention Mal's name as the reason he was shouting at me was the last straw. "You would believe the word of an Isle brat? She probably only came over here to steal your crown. If she could get you to marry her, then she would have complete control and could raze Auradon to the ground." I panted hard and I let my anger take over. "Once you let a few of the brats over, they will start coming in droves and infest our land like vermin. Their parents have only taught them how to be evil, and we can't risk them destroying everything that is good and right in this world."

"Vermin," Ben's voice broke as he repeated my epithet for the Isle's children. "You call them vermin? Their parent's may be villains, but they are not. Everyone should be given the chance to make their own mistakes or reach their own heights of success. By labeling them as vermin, you are valuing them less than the ground you walk on." Ben's voice became sorrowful as he continued. "If you show them no kindness or respect, then you will turn them into the next generation of villains by default. If you give them a chance to shine, then you could find valuable allies to help our kingdom grow."

Belle spoke up at this point. "You forget that you were the original villain in our story. The enchantress turned you into a beast, and you embraced that identity. She made you into a villain, but when you met me you started to change. Our love turned you into a hero instead. One who stood up to the man who wanted to take me against my will, and won back his humanity in the process. Villains and heroes are made, not born."

Ben's anger cooled a bit at his mother's words and he looked at me. "When I showed the Isle kids around the school, Carlos was startled when your statue morphed into a beast. I proudly explained that it was meant to do that, in order to remind us that anything is possible. I was so proud of you when I showed them your statue dad, but now I'm not so sure."

Belle spoke up again, "If we don't give the kids on the Isle a chance to make their own choices, then we are condemning them to repeat their parents' mistakes. You changed, why can't they?"

Belle's words struck me to the core and the thought that my son was no longer proud of me caused my anger to dissipate. I hung my head in shame and said, "you are right, I could be destroying the next generation instead of saving it." To neglect any part of your kingdom was unacceptable for a ruler, and I had failed utterly. How dare I put myself as the supreme ruler of Auradon when I couldn't even follow that basic tenant of royal responsibility. I lowered my eyes and said, "I have no acceptable excuse or explanation for my inaction."

Ben looked at me with determination as he said, "then let's make sure that doesn't happen. Let's take care of all of our subjects and give them a fair chance. The children of the Isle are just that, children."

Ben immediately started putting together a plan for an emergency shipment, using facts he gathered from the Isle's kids and extrapolating numbers based on his statistics and economics lessons. He was truly ready to rule, and I had never been prouder. I stepped forward to help him with the planning and hoped that I would be able to redeem myself in his eyes. When we finished and he gave orders for our plans to be carried out he looked at me with a smile and said, "I am proud of you dad. Because when you became aware of a problem, you overcame your prejudice worked on a solution. That is the kind of king that I want to be." He hugged his mother and I and left the room.

Belle walked up and hugged me saying, "I am proud of both of you. Ben found a problem, and you solved it together. That is why I love you. You may both have beastly tempers, but you also have hearts of gold." All I could do was hold her and smile.


	12. Building Trust

I own nothing… actually, I own many things such as a car, a house, a phone, a crochet hook, a stash of toilet paper, et al. However, none of the things I own include Disney or their franchise. I just play with their characters before putting them back in the box.

**Building Trust**

**Jay's Point of View**

TOURNEY IS AWESOME! This statement was the only thing that was floating through my head since I made the team. I was part of a crew with a mission, could use my athleticism in a positive way without hiding my motives, and I was having fun doing it! On the Isle, I always used my athletic skills in thievery to provide for the kids we protected, but no one knew the positive goals of my actions. I was usually written off as a hoodlum working for Mal. While this was half true, I did cause a lot of trouble, I had a noble goal in mind and I was not subservient to Mal. She may lead the crew due to her planning skills and general charisma, but we always had the option of saying no to a plan. The fact that Mal's plans almost always rocked, made following her easy.

But here I could run, jump, attack and protect without any ulterior motive. I stood on my own two feet and was recognized as an equal contributor. Everyone around me knew my goal and supported my journey to winning a game. I love Mal and providing for the kids on the Isle, don't get me wrong, but it is nice to be publicly recognized for something positive for a change.

I had just gotten my food when I saw Ben, Mal, Evie, Carlos and Doug sitting together. I swaggered over and dropped my tray between Mal and Carlos. I reached over Mal's head and gave Ben a fist bump before sitting down. "Hello everyone," I said, "and how are you this fine day."

"You're in a good mood," Evie said. "Did you have a good practice?"

Carlos laughed as he said, "when does he ever have a bad practice? I sometimes think he enjoys Tourney more than running the rooftops on the Isle."

I replied, "well it's a toss-up between the two, but on the Tourney field there are people who can actually keep up with me without falling on their butts." Mal almost squirted juice out her nose when I said that. Almost? Shoot, I'll have to try harder next time.

Carlos pouted. "ONE TIME," he said, "you fall one time and no one ever lets you forget it. It's been three years, and you had us jumping two stories into an awning. I can't help it if you bounced down on your feet but I landed on my butt."

"In a pile of trash," I threw in. My grin was a mile wide as Carlos threw up his hands and returned to his lunch.

Ben cut in, "now that sounds like a good story."

I immediately put myself in story teller mode, a skill I learned from my mom, and began to regale my audience with the tale. "It was a sunny afternoon, for once, and two brave warriors were combing the rooftops to find a booth selling edible vegetables. The strong one spotted an opportunity and silently signaled to his slighter partner that their quarry had been found. The strong one dropped silently down into the alleyway to sneak up on the beauty manning the booth. He signaled for the slight boy to back him up, when the boy managed to lose his footing and land butt first in the nearby trash heap. Unfortunately, this caught the eye of the vegetable seller and she looked at the boy in disgust. She gathered up her wares and sauntered down the street, her desire to avoid the trash smell overwhelming her desire to know the handsome stranger who landed on his feet."

My story had Ben and Doug hanging on every word while Carlos tried to disappear under the table, until Mal started cracking up. "While Carlos may have fallen on his butt, Drusilla's eldest daughter was more interested in avoiding the guy who just broke up with her cousin the week before than she was in avoiding the trash smell. You drove more girls away with your serial relationships than Carlos ever did due to clumsiness with heights."

"Wow," said Doug, "you sure know how to tell a story!"

Mal smiled fondly as she said, "it's a skill that he learned from our mom. She could always take a few facts and spin them into a story that would keep you on the edge of your seat."

"But I thought that Maleficent was your mom," said Doug. He looked confused and I froze. I didn't know if Mal wanted to tell anyone about our sibling like relationship, so I headed things off at the pass. "My mom was Scheherazade, and she came to the Isle because she loved my dad. She didn't commit any crimes, but conspicuously lifted the wallet from a guard who was arresting my dad, so she could follow her husband to the Isle. She was never really good at being bad, she just loved a man who was."

Ben asked in surprise, "is she still on the Isle? How many other people are on the Isle who don't deserve to be there? Do we need to reevaluate each case?"

Mal's face turned stony as I answered Ben. "She died when I was eleven. Most people on the Isle are there because they served a villain who was caught and an investigation showed that they agreed with the actions that were taken. There are a few who went along with evil plans because they didn't have a choice, but it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff."

Carlos continued, "there are also villains like Lady Tremaine, who treated her step daughter horribly but didn't actually abuse her or break any other laws. Her daughters Anastasia and Drusilla are also on the Isle, although all they ever did was follow their mother's example and insult Cinderella. There are a lot of second-rate villains who didn't do anything too horribly bad, but they're lumped in with the likes of Maleficent, Jafar, Hades, Cruella and their ilk."

"I understand that," Doug repeated, "but what does your mom have to do with Mal? Are you really siblings? Do you have the same dad, because we know who Mal's mom is?"

I could tell that Doug's questions could go on for some time before he stopped to take a breath, so I wasn't surprised when Mal interrupted him. "Jay and I don't have the same parents, but his mom took care of me when my own mother didn't. I called her the mother of my heart, and Jay is by brother in all but blood. People would often ask if we were dating because we were so close, but shared trauma will do that to a person."

"What trauma," Ben asked in confusion? I could see Mal flounder at this, and I longed to chase the guilt from her eyes.

"We saw her die together." I said flatly as I put my arm around Mal. I didn't provide any more details, but leaned my mouth towards her ear and whispered, "it's not your fault, it was never your fault."

Carlos and Evie quickly tried to change the subject. They were used to Mal going quiet when mom's death was mentioned, but we never told them how it happened and they never asked. Some things, you just didn't talk about on the Isle.

Evie gushed, "Scheherazade's stories were legendary on the Isle, and Jay used to repeat them to the kids all the time. A good story can help chase away the cold and distract you from your hunger. The kids loved him."

"Kids?" Ben asked, "what kids?"

Mal and I exchanged a visual conversation. We had long ago learned how to communicate with only our faces. We knew each other so well, that we often didn't need words. I knew that this frustrated Evie and Carlos sometimes, but it worked for us. Mal indicated that she would take over and tell Ben a bit about what we did on the Isle. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. She must really be starting to trust him if she was willing to reveal our secret society of Isle kids. The vulnerability I saw in her eyes also concerned me. If Ben didn't react with support for our actions, then I knew that it would crush Mal. She was clearly becoming closer to Ben than I thought, and it seemed to be romantic in nature. All I could do was sit back and see how she spun our tale.

"Ben," she began, "you have to understand that not all of the villains on the Isle care about their kids. Some of them do cherish the opportunity to change their ways and care for a child, but many simply view them as results of a raucous night out and could care less about their wellbeing. If those children live to grow up, then they often end up living on the streets. They can't find enough to eat and are often caught in the Isle's frequent storms, causing many to die of illness. Several years ago, we started organizing a support for those kids."

Mal took a deep breath before continuing, "it started when we met Carlos, and he introduced us to several of his cohorts who lived on the street. We realized that too many kids were dying due to the lack of food and shelter, so we took action. We located safe areas and set up bolt holes, places for groups of kids to gather together in a sheltered place to protect them from the storms. We supplied food, clothing, bedding, and even hygiene items when we could find them. We made sure each bolt hole was stocked with first aid supplies to treat any injuries from abuse as well."

Ben's eyes started to show his awe as Mal continued. "We set up multiple bolt holes, keeping them small so they were harder to find. We set up a house mother or father at each location, which was an older child who handled the supplies and looked out for the kids assigned to their bolt holes. By keeping them small and portable, any raiding gangs couldn't break down the network. If a bolt hole was discovered, then the kids would scatter and find their way to a new bolt hole. When our population started to get old enough to care for younger kids, then we started taking in babies and small children who were abandoned by their parents as well. We were up to twelve bolt holes when we left the Isle, and four of those were set up within the last six months."

Ben had changed from awe to outright worship by this time, as he listened to Mal describe our mission. Well, maybe worship was going a bit too far, but his respect was unmistakable. "You organized all of this right under the noses of the adults?"

Mal suddenly became self-conscious as she said, "we did work together. Evie focused on clothing while Carlos and Jay handled the food and other supplies. I organized the bolt holes and set up contingency plans in case they were discovered. I also vetted new kids for the organization. You only came under the protection of the Core Four if you were in need and were brought in by an existing member. The kids were good at identifying the difference between a kid in true need and a kid trying to find a handout because they were too lazy to take care of themselves. We also needed to make sure that they weren't spies for a rival gang whose goal was to raid our supplies. We did a good job of keeping things a secret though, so spies weren't usually a problem because most people didn't know that there was anything to spy on."

Evie cut in at this point. "We couldn't have done anything without Mal. She truly led the crusade and I couldn't be prouder of being part of the Core Four."

Doug asked, "what are the Core Four?"

Mal looked a bit sheepish. "It's what we were called on the Isle. The adults thought that we were rotten to the core, and there were four of us. The kids in the organization knew that the four of us were their suppliers and that caring for them was at the core of all that we did. The name just kind of happened. They also started calling themselves 'Core Kids'. We didn't try to transfer the title to Auradon because naming your own group in a new setting is just tacky."

"Well I think that is an awesome name," Ben said. "The four of you form the core of a benevolent organization and should be recognized as such."

Carlos panicked briefly. "Don't tell anyone on the Isle about the core kids. We can't risk exposing the kids to looting. The hardest thing about leaving the Isle was trusting someone else with our kids. If we put them at risk, we would never forgive ourselves."

"Your kids?" Doug asked in confusion. "You're too young to be parents."

"Not on the Isle we're not," Evie said. Doug looked startled at her matter of fact statement before she continued. "But Carlos is referring to the core kids. We consider them ours to protect and provide for, so we often call them our kids. Some of the house mothers/fathers are older than us, but we look after everyone regardless of age. Mal is so good with the babies, and Jay keeps the younger kids enraptured with his stories. Carlos is a great mentor to the school aged kids, and I love teaching some of the older ones how to sew and cook with what little food we can find."

"Mal's good with babies?" Doug seemed a bit confused. "I would think that you would be the one who preferred babies, no offense Mal."

"None taken," Mal answered. "Evie isn't too fond of spit up and diapers, but she loves cuddling kids of all ages and usually has a child in her lap at all times when we visit a bolt hole. Jay says that I like the babies because they can't talk back," she said jokingly, before turning serious. "Abuse and neglect hurts the babies the most. If they don't receive affection without strings attached, then they grow up jaded and are at risk of turning into villains themselves. Villains are made, not born, and our mission is to give kids a place where they can grow into heroes instead of following in their parents' footsteps."

Ben spoke with a thoughtful look on his face. "How can I funnel some of the emergency shipments straight to the kids in your organization?" My dad and I set up the emergency shipment schedule after our first lunch last week, and are arranging for a census so that the regular shipment can be adjusted."

"All you have to do is get the supplies to the Isle," Mal said. "The kids and their substitute suppliers know how to get what they need."

I was so proud of Mal. She finally trusted Ben enough to tell him what we do on the Isle. Now if she could only ask him to get the kids off of the Isle completely, then our problems would be solved. Getting the next ruler of Auradon to help with an existing organization is very different from flooding Auradon's borders with an army of kids. We'll just have to wait for Ben to gather enough political support to propose that solution. All we can do now, is be charming and show people that the children of villains don't automatically follow in their parents' footsteps. We need to fit in to their society and keep from losing our tempers. Unfortunately, with Mal and I, that is easier said than done.


	13. Audrey's Disgust

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing… actually, I own many things: a television, a computer, a throw pillow and a stash of paper towels. However, none of the things I own include Disney or their franchise. I just play with their characters before putting them back in the box.

I love your reviews! They remind me that people out there are interested in my story and are invested in my updates. I am currently trying to write the parent call just before the parent day debacle, but this may be interrupted if my muse inspires another chapter beforehand. You can read my other story "Scars Revealed" if you want an idea as to how Parent Day goes but, even though I have made point of view changes and fleshed it out a bit, it has a heavy spoiler alert.

Ghostowen asked me to include Chad, Lonnie and Jane. Lucky for you, I had this chapter sitting on the backburner, waiting for editing. Lonnie hasn't made an official appearance yet, but she has been sitting with the Core Four at lunch. I am trying to let this story grow organically, so I am not introducing characters until they add something to the story line. Aziz is in line for inclusion later on. I know he isn't mentioned in the movie, and I haven't read the books, but the fact that his parent's are Aladdin and Jasmine inspired an exciting conversation.

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**Audrey's Disgust**

**Chad's Point of View**

"Sweet! Chocolate cupcakes for dessert today!" I quickly grabbed two cupcakes. I would run of the extra calories in Tourney practice today, which would be my excuse to Audrey when I tried to talk her into giving me her cupcake too.

Audrey huffed and tapped her foot in annoyance. "You act like a kid," she said.

I looked at her, a bit confused. "I am a kid. We all are, which is why we're still in school." Sometimes, I just didn't understand Audrey. She was so ready to grow up, marry Ben and become queen. I was happy to stay a kid, play Tourney and dodge responsibility whenever possible.

I had been friends with Audrey and Ben since the three of us were little, and I know that Audrey now expected to trade on that friendship to stay close to Ben in a bid to become his wife. I wasn't considered the brightest bulb in chandelier, but even I could see that Ben would never marry Audrey. She didn't respect any of his decisions or opinions, and she ran roughshod over his feelings when trying to get her own way. I don't know why Ben hung on with her as long as he did, but I wasn't really surprised when he finally dropped her. The problem was, that she considered me to be her fall back option and simply told me we were dating without asking my opinion.

Normally I wouldn't mind dating a beautiful princess like her, but I had a big English paper due on Friday and no dewy-eyed girl to write it for me. I knew there wasn't a chance in hell that Audrey would write it for me, so she was cramping my style. It was easier to "delegate" my homework when I wasn't attached to another girl.

"Look, most of the Tourney team is sitting over by Ben. Let's join them." I started to walk towards the team's table when I was jerked backwards.

"They are siting with the VK's you idiot. And I am not putting myself in any proximity to those dangerous individuals. Who knows what kind of dark magic they're putting in everyone's drinks? They've been eating with Ben for three weeks now, and the number people sitting at their table keeps growing. I'm not about to fall into any traps." Audrey grabbed me by the ear and dragged me to another table.

"Ouch," I complained. "There's nothing I can do about the Isle kids being there, and you know that Ben hates it when you call them VK's. Their parents are villains, but they aren't."

"They may as well be," Audrey spat. "They waltz in here and start forming a bunch of followers so they can carry out whatever evil plan they've been sent to complete. I wouldn't put it past them to drop the barrier on the Isle and allow all the villains to run free again. We may not think that they're villains yet, but what else can they be after growing up on the Isle of the Lost."

"Hey Jane," I waved as she walked past. "Do you want to sit with us?" Maybe I could snag her cupcake too? She often passed up on desserts because she was worried about her looks. She might be a good bet to write my paper for me, she was usually easy to butter up because her self-esteem was practically nonexistent.

"Sorry Chad," she said, "I'm sitting with Core Four today."

"The core what?" I asked he in confusion. "Isn't that what you say when you're about to hit someone with a ball?"

Jane gave me an odd look. "I think that you mean 'fore', and that is only in golf. Mal and the others are called the Core Four on the Isle, and Ben has started using that term for them affectionately. Apparently, they take care of a bunch of homeless kids on the Isle, and the four of them are the core team supporting those kids."

Audrey crossed her arms in irritation. "You shouldn't name your own group in a new situation. It's tacky."

Jane laughed. "That's what Mal said, but when she let slip what they were called on the Isle Ben thought it was perfect. It's a good description of them too. You can see how close the four of them are and, despite what your jealousy would have you believe, they are good people down to the core." She tossed her head and shot Audrey a pointed look as she said, "and anything is better than VK's. You know that Ben hates that nickname, and the group of people agreeing him is growing by the day. We all take turns eating at their table at lunch time. Kids of people on the royal counsel are eating with them too, and getting to see how normal they are and realizing that they aren't evil just because their parents are. I wouldn't be surprised if that support spills over to their parents and results in more kids coming over from the Isle. I know that Ben wants to make that happen, but he's smart enough to know that getting the kids of the royal counselors on his side will give their parents an honest look at who they are helping when it comes time for a decision."

"That little witch is playing all of them for fools!" Audrey was practically foaming at the mouth in her anger. "We have to make people see what kind of social climber and underhanded dealer she really is."

Jane laughed. "If you think that any of those kids will believe Ben's bitter ex-girlfriend over the friendly Core Four at that table, then you are delusional. You had your chance with Ben and blew it all on your own. Your break up was a long time coming, and you have only yourself to blame for pushing him away. You've always been more interested in getting your own way than you were in him. He's just finally grown up enough to recognize your motives. Ben's not stupid, just a little too trusting at times."

Audrey latched on to Janes last statement. "Exactly, he's too trusting. We have to make him see that Mal is evil and only trying to entrap him so that she can become queen."

Jane rolled her eyes as she looked at Audrey. "Like you." Audrey's mouth hung open in shock as Jane flounced away. So much for my English paper.

Maybe I could get the new girl with blue hair to write it? Now what was her name? Eva…Elsa…Evalyn… Evie! It was Evie. She's pretty smart, and her mother is a dethroned queen. She's probably dying to snag herself a prince, and I could just imagine what she would be willing to do to get one. Her mother was ruthless after all, completely changing her looks just to trick Snow White into eating a poisoned apple. Although, having met Snow and seeing how bubbly she could be, I could understand how she might be annoying enough to poison. The last time she visited my mother I actually used the excuse of needing a nap to get out of the room. I just never said that I needed Snow to nap, instead of me. I wonder if her glass coffin is still in the woods? How did she pee in that thing anyway? Did she have a bed pan, did she hold it in, or did she wake up with a wet dress? I asked her once when I was six, but was immediately sent to my room for being rude. I've learned to ask those types of questions in my head, most of the time anyway, because it cuts down on the amount of grounding I get from my parents and detentions from the teachers. Some people can be so touchy.

Evie stood up with Doug and started walking towards the door. Doug took her tray to return it to the kitchen and I took my chance. "Hello beautiful," I said smoothly. "How would you like to study with me? We've got that English paper due on Friday and I could use a beautiful girl to help me with it."

Evie looked at me like I was something disgusting on the bottom of her shoe. "I'm not stupid," she said. "I know what your 'study sessions' entail. I already finished my paper, and I'm not about to write yours for you too."

Doug came up beside Evie and asked, "is something wrong?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "I was just seeing if you were up for a study session?"

Doug scoffed and replied, "I know how those go. I don't need you to be popular or to get a girl anymore, so I won't be doing your homework. And Evie's not stupid enough to fall for your manipulation either. Go do your own homework for a change."

My jaw dropped as the two turned and exited the lunch room together. When did Doug grow a spine?


End file.
